Nello Celio (12 February 1914 – 29 December 1995) was a Swiss politician from the Canton of Ticino. He was a member of the Free Democratic Party. He was a member of the Federal Council from 1966 to 1973 and served as the

President of the Swiss Confederation The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the Confederation or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is the head of Switzerland's seven-member Federal Council, the country's executive branch. Elected by ...

in 1972.

Biography

Celio was born in Quinto,

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

, Switzerland in 1914. He studied law at the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...

and the

University of Bern The University of Bern (german: Universität Bern, french: Université de Berne, la, Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a compreh ...

. In 1944, he was appointed as a public prosecutor in the

Sopraceneri The Sopraceneri (''above the Ceneri'', lombard: ''Surascender'') is the part of the Swiss canton of Ticino that lies to the north of the Monte Ceneri Pass through the Lugano Prealps. It includes the whole of the valley of the Ticino river and it ...

area of Ticino. He became active in politics as the president of the Ticino FDP and entered elective office in 1946 as a member of the Council of State of Ticino. He served in that body until 1959. In 1960, he became the party president of the FDP. He stood for the

1963 Swiss federal election Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 27 October 1963. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1895 The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 53 of the 20 ...

for the National Council and was elected. After the Mirage Affair scandal, which resulted in the departure of Paul Chaudet from the Federal Council, Celio was elected to succeed him. He initially headed up the Military Department, which was vacant after Chaudet's departure. No other Federal Councilor at the tim was willing to take over the ministry. In 1968, he took over the Department of Finance In 1971, he was the Vice President of Switzerland and in 1972, he served a single term as

. In 1973, he resigned from office. Celio died on 29 December 1995 from pneumonia at the age of 81.

References

External links

* * , - 1914 births 1995 deaths People from Ticino Swiss Roman Catholics Free Democratic Party of Switzerland politicians Members of the Federal Council (Switzerland) Finance ministers of Switzerland Members of the National Council (Switzerland) {{Switzerland-politician-stub