Federal Supreme Court judges decline to back President Chaix for a second term

What happened

In the past two weeks, the Federal Supreme Court's 40 judges decided not to recommend President François Chaix for reappointment, according to SRF, after procedural disputes linked to the Donzallaz–van de Graaf affair. SRF also reported that revision efforts inside the court did not pass, so the court continued to deal publicly with the case and with questions about leadership and procedure.

Why it matters

The Federal Supreme Court now faces a reappointment process in which internal judicial backing for its president is absent. That creates a near-term pathway to a parliamentary decision on court leadership and may draw more public scrutiny to how the court handles recusals, discipline, and internal governance.

Watch for

Federal Assembly services publication, from 2026-11-01 to 2026-11-04, of any agenda item or committee note on François Chaix's reappointment or Federal Supreme Court leadership Federal Supreme Court statement, from 2026-11-01 to 2026-11-04, setting out any interim leadership or internal procedural measure tied to the Donzallaz–van de Graaf affair Parliamentary Judiciary Committee acknowledgement, from 2026-11-01 to 2026-11-04, of receiving or scheduling review of the court's recommendation on the presidency No Federal Supreme Court clarification by 2026-11-04 on whether Chaix remains the court's nominee for another term

Sources

1. Knall am Bundesgericht: Präsident soll abgesetzt werden · srf.ch
2. Affäre Donzallaz und van de Graaf: Die Eskalation am Bundesgericht · srf.ch