Career
After the death of Federal Council member Ruchonnet in September 1893 Ruffy was nominated by the radicals as his successor. His candidacy was also backed by the liberal-radical faction (from which the FDP was formed in 1894), partly due to resistance. With the support of the liberal center and the Catholic conservatives, he took office on 14 December 1893 with the end of the first ballot where he received 87 of 148 valid votes. Until the election of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf in 2007, he was the only descendant of a Federal Council member, which was also elected to this office.
Ruffy was first Head of Justice and Police Department. In 1895 he moved to the Department of Home Affairs, which he led until 1897. In 1898, he was elected President of the Council where he took over the Political Department. In 1899 he took over the military department. As Minister of Justice, he was trying to stabilize criminal law. As Minister of the Interior, he advocated the introduction of a compulsory health and accident insurance.