Swiss vice chancellor dies at 55 while hiking

Switzerland’s Vice Chancellor Andre Simonazzi died on May 10 at the age of 55. 

Simonazzi collapsed “on one of his beloved hikes” in the mountains with his family, the Swiss government said, thanking him for his service since starting the position in 2009, according to Bloomberg. 

In Switzerland the chancellor and vice chancellor aren’t politicians but rather civil servants who perform a variety of administrative functions. The vice chancellor specifically serves as the spokesperson for the government in office. 

“He saw government communication as a service to the public and the government,” the federal chancellery said in a statement. “He wanted to use it to create the best possible conditions for the Federal Council and its work.” 

“When he encountered resistance, he resorted to arguments, wit and charm.”

Several parties across Switzerland’s political spectrum expressed their grief and condolences to Simonazzi’s family. 

Simonazzi studied at the Graduate Institute of International Relations in Geneva, according to his official biography, and worked as a journalist and communications officer before joining the government. He’s survived by his wife and three adult children.