Eugène Borel (June 17, 1835 in Neuchâtel - June 14, 1892) was a Swiss politician.

Early life

He was born to François-Victor and Louise Borel. He was educated at the humanistic high school in Neuchâtel and then studied the law in Munich and Heidelberg. After finishing his studies he worked as a lawyer in Neuchâtel. In 1861 he married Marie Gullaume.

Borel became an auditor and translator in the National Council of Switzerland in 1860. In 1870 he was elected inquisitor for western Switzerland by the federal court.

Politics

In 1857 he was elected into the legislative branch (Generalrat) of the city of Neuchâtel for the radical party, which is now the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland. He was elected to the city council in 1864, to the parliament (Grosser Rat) of the canton of Neuchâtel and in 1865 he became a member of the State Council (Staatsrat) where he headed the military department from 1865 to 1870 and the department of justice from 1870 to 1872.

In 1865 he was elected to the Swiss Council of States which he presided in 1869. He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 7, 1872 with 37 years. During his office time he held the Department of Posts and Telegraph . He was a key player in the founding of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) with the Treaty of Berne in 1874. Borel became the first directory of the UPU and therefore resigned from his job as a federal councilor and handed over office on December 31, 1875 to his successor.

In 1889 there was a big unrest in Ticino. Borel was sent there and, together with troops from Zürich, he managed to restore order.

Borel headed the UPU until his death in 1892.

External Link

• http://www.dhs.ch/externe/protect/textes/d/D4431.html - Biography (German), also available in French and Italian.