Micheline Calmy-Rey

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<tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Image:Calmy-Rey Langnau.jpg
Calmy-Rey at Langnau</td> </tr><tr style="text-align: center;"> <th colspan="2">Member of the Swiss Federal Council</th> </tr><tr> <th>Preceded by</th><td>Ruth Dreifuss</td> </tr><tr> <th>Residence</th> <td>Geneva</td> </tr><tr> <th>Spouse</th> <td>André Calmy</td> </tr><tr> <th>Children</th> <td>2</td> </tr>

Micheline Calmy-Rey
Born	July 8, 1945 Sion

Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. She is head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (the Swiss foreign minister) and Vice-President of the Confederation for 2006.

1 Early life and education
2 Career
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Early life and education

Calmy-Rey was born in Sion in the canton of Valais to Charles and Adeline Rey. She received her diploma in 1963 in St. Maurice, and received a degree in political science at the Institut de hautes études internationales (HEI) (Graduate Institute of International Studies) in 1968. In 1966 she married André Calmy. They have two children.

[edit] Career

From 1981-1997 Calmy-Rey served as a Congresswoman in the Grand Conseil of the canton of Geneva as a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSS/SPS), and served as president of the assembly during 1992-1993. She was president of the Geneva section of the party from 1986-1990 and again from 1993-1997. In 1997, Calmy-Rey was elected to the Conseil d'Etat of Geneva. In 2001 she became head of the Finance Department and president of the Conseil d'Etat.

She was elected December 4, 2002 to the Federal Council, heading the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Calmy-Rey is only the fourth woman elected to the Federal Council in history. On December 7, 2005 she was elected Vice-President of Switzerland, a post she will hold for the calendar year of 2006. Her work on the Federal Council has included accords between Switzerland and the European Union. If tradition continues, in 2007 she will be elected as the second female President of the Confederation in history. Ironically, the first was her predecessor on the Federal Council, Ruth Dreifuss.