André Simonazzi (17 November 1968 – 10 May 2024) was a Swiss journalist born in Monthey. He held the office of Vice-Chancellor and spokesman for the

Swiss Federal Council The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand co ...

, from April 2009 until his death in 2024.

Life and career

Simonazzi was born on 17 November 1968. He attended th
Collège de l’Abbaye
in St. Maurice, where he obtained a Latin and English baccalaureate in 1988. The eldest son of an economics teacher at the St. Maurice's Abbey, Simonazzi graduated at the

Graduate Institute of International Studies Graduate may refer to: Education * The subject of a graduation, i.e. someone awarded an academic degree ** Alumni, a former student who has either attended or graduated from an institution * High school graduate, someone who has completed hi ...

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

. After beginning a career as a journalist at the regional newspaper Le Nouvelliste, Simonazzi first joined the relief organization Caritas Switzerland's media department, before becoming its national spokesperson in 1998. In 2004, he joined the

Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications The Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC, , , , ) is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council. Organisation The department is compos ...

(DETEC), initially as deputy head of the information service, then as head between 2004 and 2009. Simonazzi was appointed spokesman for the Swiss federal council on 12 November 2008, a position he took up on 1 April 2009 and retained until his death in 2024.

Personal life and death

Simonazzi was of Italian descent. He was married. The marriage produced three children. Simonazzi collapsed and died while hiking in the Swiss mountains on 10 May 2024, aged 55.

References

1968 births 2024 deaths Swiss politicians Swiss people of Italian descent People from Monthey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies alumni {{Switzerland-journalist-stub