Ignazio Cassis height - How tall is Ignazio Cassis?

When Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter announced his retirement in 2017, Cassis was one of the three candidates the FDP chose to replace him, the other two being Isabelle Moret, a National Councillor from Vaud, and Pierre Maudet, a cantonal official from Geneva and former Geneva mayor. Cassis was considered the favorite to succeed Burkhalter.

In the election, held on 20 September 2017, the Federal Assembly elected Cassis to the Federal Council in the second round by taking 125 of 244 valid votes, becoming the 117th Federal Councilor since 1848. He was supported by the centre-right and right-wing parties in the assembly. Cassis became the first Federal Councillor from Ticino since 1999. The Swiss press generally commented positively on Cassis's election.

Cassis took office on 1 November 2017 as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Didier Burkhalter. He caused some controversy shortly after his election when the media reported that he addressed and joined ProTell, a gun-rights advocacy group, nine days before his election, something that might have made his relationship with the EU difficult as foreign minister due to discussions over joint gun policy. Cassis ended his membership in ProTell and other gun-rights organizations shortly afterward.

Residing in the Canton of Ticino, Cassis served as a member of the Swiss National Council from 4 June 2007 to 30 October 2017. He is affiliated with the FDP The Liberals.

Cassis studied medicine at the University of Zurich until 1987. He subsequently specialized in internal medicine and public health, and received his master in public health in 1996. Cassis was awarded a doctorate in medicine (Dr. med., MD) from the University of Lausanne in 1998. He was a cantonal doctor in Ticino from 1996 to 2008 and vice president of the Foederatio Medicorum Helveticorum (FMH, literally "Swiss Medical Association") from 2008 to 2012.

At his birth, Cassis was an Italian citizen. In 1976 he was naturalized in Switzerland and had to give up his Italian passport. In 1991 he became a dual citizen of Switzerland and Italy. During his Federal Council candidacy in 2017, Cassis renounced his Italian citizenship.

Ignazio Cassis (born 13 April 1961) is a Swiss physician and politician. He is affiliated to the FDP The Liberals and was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 20 September 2017. He has served since 1 November 2017 as head of the Department of Foreign Affairs.