Hello, I'm an expert in political science with a particular interest in European politics. I'm here to provide you with accurate and detailed information about the political landscape of Switzerland.
Switzerland is a unique country in terms of its political structure. Unlike many other countries, it doesn't have a single head of state or a president in the traditional sense. Instead, the country is governed by a collective executive body known as the Federal Council, which is made up of seven members. These members are elected by the Federal Assembly for a four-year term and are equal in rank and authority. The position of the President of the Confederation is a ceremonial one and is held by one of the seven members of the Federal Council for a one-year term, traditionally on a rotating basis.
The Federal Council members are chosen from different political parties to ensure a balance of power and representation. The President of the Confederation, while serving as the head of the Federal Department, doesn't have more authority than the other members of the council. The office is largely symbolic and represents Switzerland in a ceremonial capacity both domestically and internationally.
As for the specific individual you mentioned, Johann Schneider-Ammann, he served as the President of the Swiss Confederation for the year 2016. He was a member of the Free Democratic Party and had been the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, which includes the role of the trade minister, since 2010. It's important to note that being the president for a year does not mean he was the head of state for that entire time; rather, he was one of the seven members of the Federal Council, and the president's role was his for a one-year term during his tenure.
To get the current leader of Switzerland, we would need to look at the most recent year and identify who held the presidency of the Confederation. The presidency role is held for one year and rotates among the members of the Federal Council. As my knowledge is updated only until my last training data in April 2023, I would recommend checking the most recent and reliable sources or official Swiss government websites to get the accurate and current information about the President of the Swiss Confederation.

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The office does not confer the status of head of state, which is held jointly by all the councillors. Johann Schneider-Amman, the president for 2016, has been trade minister and a Federal Council member since 2010, representing the liberal Free Democratic Party.read more >>