Published on 8 July 2025
Simonetta Sommaruga
Head of the FDJP from 1 November 2010 to 31 December 2018
Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga was born in a hospital in Zug on 14 May 1960. She grew up in Sins in Freiamt, a region in the southeast of the canton of Aargau. After obtaining her high school leaving certificate, she attended the Lucerne Academy of Music where she studied to become a concert pianist. After travelling widely across the world, she continued her pianist and educational career at the Fribourg Academy of Music.
Simonetta Sommaruga was manager of the Swiss Consumer Protection Foundation from 1993 to 1999 and president of the foundation from 2000 to 2010. She served as a local councillor to the municipal government of Köniz from 1997 to 2005, heading the fire brigade and civil protection departments.
In 1999, Simonetta Sommaruga was elected to the National Council of Switzerland and in 2003 to the Council of States where she represented the canton of Bern until 2010. She was on the Council of States Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxes, on the Committee for Social Security and Health, and served as vice-president of the Committee for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy. She was also vice-president of the Swiss Delegation to the Committee of Members of Parliament of the EFTA Countries and for Relations with the European Parliament (DelEFTA/EP).
The United Federal Assembly elected Simonetta Sommaruga as federal councillor on 22 September 2010. She has been head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police since 1 November 2010.
On 3 December 2014, the Federal Assembly elected Simonetta Sommaruga as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2015.
Mrs. Sommaruga is married to the writer Lukas Hartmann. In the winter she devotes her free moments to playing the piano and reading books of fiction. In summer, she loves spending time in her garden and hiking in the mountains.
Personal details
- Born 14 May 1960 in a hospital in Zug as the third of four children.
- Place of origin: Lugano (Canton Ticino) and Eggiwil (Canton Bern)
- Mother: avid gardener and dedicated housewife. Father: plant manager of LONZA AG
- Married to Lukas Hartmann
Education and training
- 1980: High school leaving certificate (Type B) from the Bethlehem Grammar School, Immensee (Canton Schwyz)
- 1980: Trained as a pianist at the Lucerne Academy of Music
- 1983-1984: Further education in California (Stanford) and in Rome
- 1988-1991: Studied English and Spanish literature at the University of Fribourg (did not graduate)
Career history
- 1985: Concert appearances and educational work at the Academy of Music and the cantonal teacher training college in Fribourg; Organist at St.Jean’s Church
- 1985: Worked in a home for battered women in Fribourg
- 1993: Manager of the Swiss Consumer Protection Foundation in Bern
- Since 2000: President of the Swiss Consumer Protection Foundation
- 2003: President of SWISSAID
- Since 2008: Board member of SWISSAID
- 2002: Co-President of the Women’s Music Forum in Bern
- Since 2008: President of EQUAM (Foundation for External Quality Assurance in Medicine)
- Since 2008: Board member of Energieallianz
- Since 2009: Member of the foundation Slow Food Schweiz
- Since 2009: Board member of the Bärenpark Bern
- Since 2010: Member of the Board of Directors of Concret AG
Following her appointment as Federal Councillor, Simonetta Sommaruga resigned from all offices.
Political career
- Since 1986: Member of the Socialist Party of Switzerland
- 1997-2005: Municipal Councillor, head of the fire brigade and civil protection of Köniz; Officer for Cultural Affairs
- 1999: National Councillor, member of the Committee for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy
- Since 2003: Member of the Council of States; member of the Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxes, 2008-2009 president of the Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxes, vice-president of the Committee for Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, member of the Committee for Social Security and Health, vice-president of the EFTA Delegation / European Parliament, Member of the Office of the Council of States
- 22 September 2010: Election as Federal Councillor
- Since 1 November 2010: Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police
- 3 december 2014: Election as president of the Swiss Confederation for 2015
Languages
Spoken: German, French, Italian, English, Spanish
Written: German, French, English, Spanish20 October 2016
The joint fight against human trafficking
Welcoming address by the Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga at the Interpol Conference in Lugano. Check against delivery.
19 September 2016
UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants
Federal councillor Simonetta Sommaruga. Check against delivery. Unofficial translation.
30 November 2015
Leaders Event at COP 21 UNFCCC, Paris
President of the Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga. Check against delivery.
28 September 2015
"The UN at 70: The road ahead for peace, security and human rights"
Address by the President of the Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, delivered at the week of high-level meetings on the 70th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. – Check against delivery.
27 September 2015
Global leaders’ meeting on gender equality and women’s empowerment
Speech by President Sommaruga at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York – Check against delivery.
25 September 2015
Address delivered at the UN Summit for the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Address by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, at the UN Summit in New York. – Check against delivery.
1 August 2015
National Day 2015 greetings for the Swiss abroad
President of the Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga. Check against delivery.
28 July 2015
National Day 2015 greetings for the Swiss abroad
President of the Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga. Check against delivery.
27 January 2015
"Auschwitz – never again"
Written message by the President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, Tuesday 27 January 2015
21 January 2015
From Paris to Davos
Speech by the President of the Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, at the opening of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (WEF) 2015. Check against delivery.
4 October 2013
High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development - Roundtable 3
Renforcement des partenariats et de la coopération dans le domaine des migrations internationales, moyens d’intégrer avec efficacité la question des migrations dans les politiques de développement et promotion de la cohérence à tous les niveaux. Remarques préliminaires de la conseillère fédérale Simonetta Sommaruga. La parole prononcée fait foi.
3 October 2013
High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development
Speech of Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, New York, 3rd October 2013. Check against delivery.
3 October 2013
High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development
New York, 3rd October 2013: Side event "Making the Case for Migration in the Post-2015 Agenda" Statement of Madame Simonetta Sommaruga, Ministre de Justice et Police suisse. Check against delivery.
23 February 2012
"The rule of law must be upheld, human rights be respected, and, where applicable, international humanitarian law be observed"
Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga. Check against delivery.
1 December 2011
Global Forum on Migration and Development
Key Note Speech of Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga on the occasion of the opening of the Concluding Debate of the Swiss Chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development held in Geneva on December 1st 2011. Check against delivery.
28 November 2010
Vote on the expulsion initiative
Statement by Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, 28 November 2010, Federal Palace Media Centre, Berne. The spoken word is imperative.