View source for Marc-Émile Ruchet

{{short description|Swiss politician (1853–1912)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name               = Marc-Émile Ruchet
| image              = Marc Ruchet.jpg
| office             = [[President of the Swiss Confederation|President of Switzerland]]
| term_start         = 1 January 1911
| term_end           = 31 December 1911
| predecessor        = [[Robert Comtesse]]
| successor          = [[Ludwig Forrer]]
| term_start1        = 1 January 1905
| term_end1          = 31 December 1905
| predecessor1       = Robert Comtesse
| successor1         = Ludwig Forrer
| office2            = [[List of members of the Swiss Federal Council|Swiss Federal Councillor]]
| term_start2        = 14 December 1899
| term_end2          = 9 July 1912
| predecessor2       = [[Eugène Ruffy]]
| successor2         = [[Camille Decoppet]]
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1853|9|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges]], Vaud, Switzerland
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1912|7|13|1853|9|14|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Bern]], Canton of Bern, Switzerland
| party              = [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|Free Democratic Party]]
| alma_mater         = [[University of Lausanne]]
}}
'''Marc-Émile Ruchet''' (14 September 1853 – 13 July 1912) was a French-speaking Swiss politician.<ref name=hls>{{Cite web |url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/004361/2012-05-25/ |title=Marc Ruchet |date=2012-05-25 |access-date=2023-09-12 |last=Meystre-Schaeren |first=Nicole |publisher=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland}}</ref>

He was elected to the [[Swiss Federal Council]] on 14 December 1899 and resigned on 9 July 1912, only four days before his death. He was affiliated with the [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|Free Democratic Party]]. 

While in office he held the following departments:
* [[Department of Home Affairs (Switzerland)|Department of Home Affairs]] (1900 –1903)
* [[Department of Finance (Switzerland)|Department of Finance]] (1904)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/de/home/das-efd/der-departementsvorsteher/ueli-maurer/fruehere-departmentsvorsteher.html|title=Frühere Departmentsvorsteher/Innen}}</ref>
* [[Federal Department of Foreign Affairs|Political Department]] (1905)
* [[Department of Home Affairs (Switzerland)|Department of Home Affairs]] (1906–1910)
* [[Federal Department of Foreign Affairs|Political Department]] (1911)
* [[Department of Home Affairs (Switzerland)|Department of Home Affairs]] (1912)
He was [[President of the Swiss Confederation|President of the Confederation]] twice, in 1905 and 1911.

== Biography ==
Ruchet was born as the son of Charles, a teacher, and Lina Elise ([[née]] Bäurlin). He studied law in Lausanne and Heidelberg and earned a licence<ref>The licence ({{langx|de|Lizenziat|link=no}}), equivalent to a present-day MA or MSc degree, and marked the end of university studies.</ref> at the [[University of Lausanne]] in 1875.<ref name=hls/>

In the office of [[Louis Ruchonnet]], Ruchet gained first experience in the legal area and was admitted to the bar in 1878. From 1886 until 1888 he sat on the board of directors of the [[Western Switzerland Railways]], and from 1890 until 1899 on the board of the [[Jura–Simplon Railways]].<ref name=hls/>

Elected to the Federal Council in 1899, he minted the federal law on the forestry services (1902). After the death of his wife his bad health deteriorated further. Only a few days after stepping down in 1912, Ruchet died.<ref name=hls/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Swiss Federal Councillor|marc-emile-ruchet}}

{{start box}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box | before = [[Eugène Ruffy]] | title = [[Member of the Swiss Federal Council]] | years = 1899–1912 | after = [[Camille Decoppet]]}}
{{end box}}
{{Swiss Presidents}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruchet, Marc-Emile}}
[[Category:1853 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Aigle District]]
[[Category:Swiss Calvinist and Reformed Christians]]
[[Category:Free Democratic Party of Switzerland politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Federal Council (Switzerland)]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Swiss Confederation]]
[[Category:Interior ministers of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Finance ministers of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Members of the Council of States (Switzerland)]]
[[Category:University of Lausanne alumni]]
[[Category:Foreign ministers of Switzerland]]

{{Switzerland-politician-stub}}