Cotti was born in Muralto. After studies of law in Fribourg, he practised law in Locarno and pursued a political career in his native Ticino.[2]
In 1962, he headed the newly founded Partito popolare democratico ticinese. In 1981 he was elected president of the cantonal Christian Democratic Party, and served as president of the national party from 1981 to 1984.[2]
Cotti was a member of the cantonal parliament from 1962 to 1975. He was elected to the cantonal government of Ticino in 1975.[2] In 1983, he was elected to the national parliament's lower house, the National Council.[3]
Cotti's political philosophy was one of optimistic globalism, and he liked to be seen as a visionary and as an homme des lettres.[3] A convinced Europhile, Cotti was instrumental in bringing about the Federal Council's 1992 decision to seek Swiss membership of the European Union – a move that backfired a few months later when Swiss voters rejected membership in the European Economic Area, blocking further Swiss integration with the EU.[3] In this and other areas, Cotti's visions proved incompatible with Switzerland's complicated and slow consensus politics, which earned him the nickname of "minister of announcements" (Ankündigungsminister).[3]
As Switzerland's foreign minister since 1994, Cotti helped salvage Switzerland's relationship with the EU by negotiating and concluding a series of treaties that now govern Swiss–EU relations.[5] He led Swiss negotiations to settle claims of Holocaust survivors against Switzerland and Swiss banks.[5] He was a strong advocate of Switzerland's accession to the United Nations, which voters only agreed to after his time in office in 2002.[5] Cotti also prominently represented the country abroad, gaining international recognition as the first Swiss president of the OSCE.[3]
Post-ministerial life
After retiring from politics, Cotti served in leading advisory positions in major Swiss companies, including on the board of Credit Suisse.[3]
