Swiss cabinet posts go to former social worker, entrepreneur

ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss parliament elected an entrepreneur and a former social worker to the seven-member cabinet on Wednesday ahead of a reshuffle sparked by the resignations of two ministers, although which posts the two new members take has yet to be decided.

Albert Roesti, 55, a businessman and member of parliament from Bern who led the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) from 2016 to 2020, was elected to succeed fellow SVP member Ueli Maurer, who was finance minister and a fiscal hawk who said he would retire at end of the year.

Ex-social worker Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, 58, a Social Democrat member of the upper house from Jura canton, will replace Simonetta Sommaruga, the energy minister who is stepping down to care for her husband as he recovers from a stroke.

The cabinet members still need to decide who takes which ministry in talks this week. Members get to express their wishes by seniority, although it may require negotiations to determine who will replace Maurer in the coveted role of finance minister.

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Edmund Blair)