Doris Leuthard elected Swiss president

Centre-right politician, Doris Leuthard, will serve as Swiss president next year, the parliament decided on Wednesday in Bern.

Report says the leadership post goes to a different cabinet minister every year.

Leuthard, a Christian Democratic People’s Party member, has served as minister for environment, transport, energy and communication.

A former proponent of nuclear power, Leuthard has become the architect of Switzerland’s plan to gradually shut down its reactors.

Referendum voters in November supported her view that a rapid phase-out would do more harm than good.

Having been in government for more than 10 years, the 53-year-old politician is currently Switzerland’s longest-serving cabinet member.

However, she had already served as president once, in 2010.

Leuthard succeeded Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann as president.

(dpa/NAN)