Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Widmer-Schlumpf's career is marked by historic firsts and significant policy shifts. She was the first woman to lead the Federal Department of Finance, a role in which she oversaw the end of Swiss banking secrecy, a move that transformed Switzerland's international financial standing. Her refusal to extradite Roman Polanski in 2010 was a landmark legal decision that highlighted her commitment to the rule of law. As President of the Swiss Confederation in 2013, she represented the country with dignity during a period of global economic uncertainty.

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf receiving an award

AwardsWidmer-Schlumpf's most significant honor is her election as President of the Swiss Confederation in 2013, a distinction that rotates annually among Federal Councillors. She has also received various state honors in Switzerland for her service, though specific names are not widely publicized. Her role in ending banking secrecy earned her international recognition from bodies such as the OECD and the U.S. Treasury, though these are not formal awards.

Honours & Distinctions

President of the Swiss Confederation

Swiss Federal Assembly·2013

Highest ceremonial office in Switzerland, rotating annually among Federal Councillors.

Records & Feats

First woman to lead the Federal Department of Finance

Historic First·2010

In 2010, she became the first woman to head Switzerland's finance ministry, a historic first in Swiss political history.