Every year, the Swiss government publishes an official portrait of the Federal Council, the nation’s 7-member executive. One member acts as president for the year, although the position confers no extra power. This year the president is Guy Parmelin. He was president in 2021.
For the official 2026 portrait of the Federal Council, Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s president, asked four photography students to take charge of the project. All stages of the work were carried out by trainees. The result is intended as an authentic portrayal of the Federal Council as a collegiate body.
Seeking a fresher perspective—and one reflecting the outlook of the younger generation—Mr Parmelin, who heads the economy, education and research department, commissioned the Centre for Vocational Education in Vevey to develop the project with students from its photography programme. Four were selected from different classes for their complementary skills: Nathan Bugniet, Eileen Fraefel, Samantha Keller and Léo Margueron. They were supervised by teaching staff from conception to completion.
The final portrait shows the seven members of the Federal Council and the federal chancellor photographed together in the president’s salon, next to the council chamber, rather than individually. The image is the product of a composite overlay in which the four students also appear, making the creative process visible and highlighting the different elements of their work.
Trainees were involved beyond the photographic production itself. Apprentices from the Federal Chancellery and the economics and education department acted as stand-ins during preparation, and a trainee media specialist at the Chancellery produced a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.
Some 35,000 copies of the official portrait have been printed. It can be downloaded or ordered via the federal website, which also hosts the making-of video.
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