Gerhard Pfister

Gerhard Michael Pfister is a Swiss educator and politician who currently serves as a member of the National [Council (Switzerland)|National Council] for The Centre since 2003. In 2016, he succeeded Christophe Darbellay as president of The Centre. Pfister is currently also co-president of the Swiss Private School Association and founder and controlling shareholder of the day school Elementa Zug which is deemed for highly gifted children.

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Early life and education

Pfister was born 1 October 1962 in Zug, Switzerland, to Dietmar Pfister and Marliese Pfister. He lost his mother when he was only eight years old. His parents operated the private boarding school Institute Dr. Pfister in Oberägeri, which was operative from 1920 to 2012. He studied there before moving on to Disentis Abbey school. He studied philosophy and literature at the University of Fribourg.

Career

He taught at the school and took over operations after the death of his father in 1994. The school closed in 2012. He currently is the co-president of the Swiss Private School Association.

Politics

In 1998, he was elected to the Cantonal Council of Zug where he served through 2003. He then became the party president in Zug in 1999, a position he held until 2008. He won a seat in the National Council in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007 and 2011. In January 2025, Pfister announced he would step down as the Centre Party's leader later in the year.

Personal life

Since 1994 Pfister has been married to Franziska, who is also a teacher and educator.