Didier Burkhalter : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

17 April 1960(age 56)

Political party

FDP.The Liberals

Member of the Swiss Federal Council

Assumed office

1 November 2009

Preceded by

Pascal Couchepin

Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs

Assumed office

1 November 2009

Preceded by

Pascal Couchepin

Home | Office Holder | Didier Burkhalter

Didier Burkhalter (born April 17, 1960 in Neuchâtel) is a Swiss politician of FDP.The Liberals. He is a member of the Swiss Federal Council who was elected on 16 September 2009, and succeeded Pascal Couchepin on 1 November 2009 when he became head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (the Swiss interior minister).

A native of the Canton of Neuchâtel, he was member of the parliament of the Canton of Neuchâtel from 1990 to 2001. From 2003 to 2007, Burkhalter was a member of the Swiss National Council. He has a degree in economics.

On 11 November 2007, he was elected to the Council of States, along with Social Democratic Party (SP) candidate Gisèle Ory, who was re-elected for a second term. Pierre Bonhôte, the other social democratic incumbent, was not re-elected. During the election campaign, Burkhalter was backed by the Liberal Party (PLS) and the SVP/UDC, though the SVP/UDC scarcely endorsed him publicly.