1. Simonetta Sommaruga served as Vice President of Switzerland for 2014 and 2019.
20 Facts About Simonetta Sommaruga
1. 2.
Simonetta Sommaruga assumed the role of President of the Swiss Confederation in 2015, before returning to the position in 2020.
3.
Simonetta Sommaruga was born 14 May 1960 in Zug, Switzerland, a daughter of Marco and Marie-Therese Simonetta Sommaruga.
4.
Simonetta Sommaruga is a maternal great-great-granddaughter of Johann Joseph Keel, who served as National Councilor as well as Governing Councilor.
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Simonetta Sommaruga grew up with two brothers and a sister in Sins, Aargau.
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Simonetta Sommaruga attended the gymnasium at Immensee, Schwyz and trained as a pianist at the Lucerne School of Music of Lucerne University.
7.
Simonetta Sommaruga held the directorship of the Consumer Protection Foundation from 1993 to 1999, which earned her public recognition in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, where it was active.
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Simonetta Sommaruga held the presidency of that foundation from 2000 to 2010, as well as that of the aid organisation Swissaid from 2003 to 2008.
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Simonetta Sommaruga was patron of SAFFA 2020, alongside then-Federal Councillors Doris Leuthard and Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, as well as former Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey.
10.
Simonetta Sommaruga served in the municipal government of Koniz from 1997 to 2005.
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Simonetta Sommaruga was elected by the Federal Assembly on 22 September 2010.
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Simonetta Sommaruga was eventually elected for a full four-year term in 2011, before successfully seeking reelection in 2015 and 2019.
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On 4 December 2013, Simonetta Sommaruga was elected as Vice President of Switzerland by the Federal Assembly for 2014, alongside Didier Burkhalter, who was elected President of the Swiss Confederation.
14.
Simonetta Sommaruga served as President of the Confederation until 31 December 2015, when Schneider-Ammann succeeded her.
15.
Simonetta Sommaruga became President of the Swiss Confederation again in 2020, a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Simonetta Sommaruga opened the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne during the opening ceremony.
17.
Simonetta Sommaruga was succeeded by Guy Parmelin on 1 January 2021.
18.
Simonetta Sommaruga stated the decision had come abruptly following a stroke suffered by her husband.
19.
Simonetta Sommaruga, who is married to writer Lukas Hartmann, lives in Spiegel near Bern.
20.
Simonetta Sommaruga is a distant relative of Cornelio Sommaruga and fellow politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland Carlo Sommaruga.