According to the constitution of April 18, 1999 (in force since January 1, 2000; modified in 2006), which updates the earlier constitution of 1874 in an updated form but largely unchanged in terms of content, Switzerland is a democratic federal state consisting of 26 cantons.
According to Allcitycodes, the legislative body (Article 148 ff.) Is the Federal Assembly (French Assemblée fédérale, Italian Assemblea federale), which consists of two chambers, the National Council and the Council of States. The 200 members of the National Council (French Conseil national, Italian Consiglio nazionale) are elected for 4 years in cantonal constituencies according to proportional representation. The seats are distributed among the cantons in proportion to their resident population, with each canton being entitled to at least one seat.
The individual cantons (“estates”) each send two members (Obwalden and Nidwalden as well as the two Appenzell and Basel one each) to the Council of States (French Conseil des États, Italian Consiglio degli Stati), the federal body; it consists of 46 members. According to cantonal regulations, these are elected directly by the people almost without exception by majority voting, usually for a period of 4 years. Both chambers discuss the respective bills separately.
Together they elect the Federal Council (French Conseil fédéral, Italian Consiglio federale), the highest Swiss executive body (Article 174 ff.). It consists of 7 members, whereby an adequate representation of the country and language regions must be taken into account. Its chairman is the Federal President elected for 1 year by the Federal Assembly. The members of the National Council, Council of States and Federal Council cannot belong to another of these authorities at the same time. Federal councilors are also prohibited from holding any other federal or cantonal office or other gainful employment in addition to their office. Both chambers also elect the members of the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Insurance Court (for 6 years) as the “United Federal Assembly”;
Federal laws and certain international treaties approved by both chambers are subject to a referendum if at least 50,000 voters or 8 cantons so request within 100 days of the law being passed (optional referendum; legislative procedure). A constitutional amendment can be requested by referendum by at least 100,000 voters in the form of a general suggestion or a formulated draft (constitutional initiative). Any amendment to the constitution must be adopted by a majority of the people and the cantons (compulsory referendum).
All Swiss citizens have the right to vote and to vote, at the communal, cantonal and federal level (after the Federal Supreme Court in 1990 the federal court ruled that the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, according to which women were not entitled to vote and vote in cantonal matters, was unconstitutional had declared). The voting age is (since 1991) at the federal level 18 years.
Legislative competence is divided between the federal government and the cantons: foreign affairs, transport, customs, alcohol taxes, federal finances, enactment of civil and criminal laws, etc. fall within the competence of the federal government; on the other hand is i.a. the enactment of school laws and provisions of the court system are a matter for the cantons. In the area of education, the federal government was granted greater competencies in an amendment to the constitution (2006). Overall, the political weight has shifted more and more to the federal government in recent decades.
Each member of the Federal Council is head of one of the 7 departments. The Federal President elected annually in December by the Federal Assembly is not the head of state, but merely the Chairman of the Federal Council (collegial principle), but as such the lead representative of Switzerland to the outside world within the limits of Articles 180–187 of the Federal Constitution. The Federal Chancellery, of which the Federal Chancellor is the head, also belongs to the federal administration.
The cantons are autonomous within the boundaries drawn by the Federal Constitution. They determine their state organization, which must comply with democratic principles, through a cantonal constitution. The naming of the state authorities is regulated very differently in the cantons. The legislative body is usually a directly elected parliament (Grand Council, Cantonal Council, District Administrator or Parliament); In 2 cantons there is also a rural municipality. Laws are regularly subject to an optional or mandatory referendum. The autonomy of the cantons means responsibility for regulating all matters for which the Confederation is not responsible. In many cases, federal legislation also entrusts the cantons with the enforcement of federal laws and the enactment of supplementary regulations. The canton’s executive is called the government council, government, state council or professional ethics committee; The head of the state is usually the Landammann or the President of the Government Council.
In January 2020, Simonetta Sommeruga (* 1960; SP) succeeded Ueli Maurer (SVP) as Federal President. In 2021 she will be her current deputy Guy Parmelin (* 1959; SVP). Despite the green parties winning votes in the National Council elections in October 2019, the previous distribution of seats in the Federal Council with two seats each for SVP, FDP and SP and one for the CVP remained. The shaping of relations with the EU also shapes current politics, although the issue of the free movement of persons has not yet been finally clarified. Due to its proximity to Lombardy, Switzerland was initially badly affected by the corona pandemic, especially in Ticino. From mid-March to mid-June 2020, the Federal Council governed under emergency law, which, however, only permits temporary ordinances. In some cases, Switzerland took less strict measures than the neighboring countries. There was no curfew and no mask requirement was introduced.
Elections in Switzerland
| Mandates 1) and percentage of the parties in the National Council elections 2) 1947–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Party 3) | 1947 | 1951 | 1955 | 1959 | 1963 | 1967 | 1971 | 1975 | ||||||||||
| FDP | 52 | (23.0) | 51 | (24.0) | 50 | (23.3) | 51 | (23.7) | 51 | (24.0) | 49 | (23.2) | 49 | (21.5) | 47 | (22.2) | ||
| PLC | 48 | (26.2) | 49 | (26.0) | 53 | (27.0) | 51 | (26.3) | 53 | (26.6) | 50 | (23.5 | 46 | (22.8) | 55 | (24.9) | ||
| KCVP or CVP 4) | 44 | (21.2) | 48 | (22.5) | 47 | (23.2) | 48 | (23.3) | 48 | (23.4) | 45 | (22.1) | 44 | (21.0) | 46 | (21.1) | ||
| BGB or SVP 5) | 21 | (12.1) | 23 | (12.6) | 22nd | (12.1) | 22nd | (11.6) | 22nd | (11.4) | 21 | (11.0) | 21 | (10.0) | 21 | (9.9) | ||
| LdU 6) | 8th | (4.4) | 10 | (5.1) | 10 | (5.5) | 10 | (5.5) | 10 | (5.0) | 16 | (9.1) | 13th | (7.6) | 11 | (6.1) | ||
| DPS | 5 | (2.9) | 4th | (2.2) | 4th | (2.1) | 4th | (2.2) | 4th | (1.8) | 3 | (1.4) | 2 | (0.8) | – | – | ||
| EPP | 1 | (0.9) | 1 | (1.0) | 1 | (1.1) | 2 | (1.4) | 2 | (1.6) | 3 | (1.6) | 3 | (2.2) | 3 | (2.0 | ||
| LIDUS or LPS 7) | 7th | (3.2) | 5 | (2.6) | 5 | (2.2) | 5 | (2.3) | 6th | (2.2) | 6th | (2.3) | 6th | (2.1) | 6th | (2.4) | ||
| PdA | 7th | (5.1) | 5 | (2.7) | 4th | (2.6) | 3 | (2.7) | 4th | (2.2) | 5 | (2.9) | 5 | (2.5) | 4th | (2.4) | ||
| NA or Rep 8) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | (0.6) | 11 | (7.7) | 6th | (5.5) | ||
| POCH 9) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | (1.0) | ||
| Other | 1 | (1.0) | – | (1.3) | – | (0.9) | – | (1.0) | – | (1.8) | 1 | (2.3) | – | (1.6) | – | (2.6) | ||
| Political party | 1979 | 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | ||||||||||
| FDP | 51 | (24.1) | 54 | (23.3) | 51 | (22.9) | 44 | (21.0) | 45 | (20.2) | 43 | (19.9) | 36 | (17.3) | 31 | (15.6) | ||
| PLC | 51 | (24.4) | 47 | (22.8) | 41 | (18.4) | 54 | (18.5) | 54 | (21.8) | 51 | (22.5) | 52 | (23.3) | 43 | (19.5) | ||
| KCVP or CVP 4) | 44 | (21.5) | 42 | (20.6) | 42 | (20.0) | 35 | (18.0) | 34 | (16.8) | 35 | (15.8) | 28 | (14.4) | 31 | (14.6) | ||
| BGB or SVP 5) | 23 | (11.6) | 23 | (11.1) | 25th | (11.0) | 25th | (11.9) | 29 | (14.9) | 44 | (22.5) | 55 | (26.7) | 62 | (29.0) | ||
| LdU 6) | 8th | (4.1) | 8th | (4.0) | 8th | (4.2) | 5 | (2.8) | 3 | (1.8) | 1 | (0.7) | – | – | – | – | ||
| EPP | 3 | (2.2) | 3 | (2.1) | 3 | (1.9) | 3 | (1.9) | 2 | (1.8) | 3 | (1.8) | 3 | (2.3) | 2 | (2.4) | ||
| LIDUS or LPS 7) | 8th | (2.8) | 8th | (2.8) | 9 | (2.7) | 10 | (3.0) | 7th | (2.7) | 6th | (2.3) | 4th | (2.2) | 4th | (1.8) | ||
| PdA | 3 | (2.1) | 1 | (0.9) | – | – | 2 | (0.8) | 3 | (1.2) | 2 | (1.0) | 2 | (0.9) | 1 | (0.7) | ||
| NA or Rep 8) or SD 8) | 3 | (1.9) | 5 | (3.5) | 3 | (3.2) | 5 | (3.4) | 3 | (3.1) | 1 | (1.8) | 1 | (0.9) | – | (0.5) | ||
| POCH or FGA 9) | 2 | (1.7) | 3 | (2.2) | 4th | (4.0) | 1 | (1.5) | 2 | (1.5) | – | – | – | – | – | (0.2) | ||
| GPS 10) | – | – | 3 | (1.7) | 9 | (5.0) | 14th | (6.1) | 8th | (5.0) | 9 | (5.0) | 13th | (7.6) | 20th | (9.6) | ||
| APS or FPS 11) | – | – | – | – | 2 | (2.6) | 8th | (5.1) | 7th | (4.0) | – | (0.9) | – | (0.2) | – | (0.1) | ||
| GLP 12) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | (1.4) | |||
| Others 15) | 4th | (3.6) | 3 | 4.9) | 3 | (4.9) | 7th | (7.0) | 3 | (5.2) | 5 | (6.7) | 6th | (4.2) | 3 | (4.6) | ||
| Political party | 2011 | 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| FDP. The Liberals 14) | 30th | (15.1) | 33 | (16.4) | ||||||||||||||
| PLC | 46 | (18.7) | 43 | (18.8) | ||||||||||||||
| KCVP or CVP 4) | 28 | (12.3) | 27 | (11.6) | ||||||||||||||
| BGB or SVP 5) | 54 | (26.6) | 65 | (29.4) | ||||||||||||||
| EPP | 2 | (2.0) | 2 | (1.9) | ||||||||||||||
| PdA | – | (0.5) | 1 | (0.6) | ||||||||||||||
| GPS 10) | 15th | (8.4) | 11 | (7.1) | ||||||||||||||
| GLP 12) | 12th | (5.4) | 7th | (4.6) | ||||||||||||||
| BDP 13) | 9 | (5.4) | 7th | (4.1) | ||||||||||||||
| Others 15) | 4th | (5.6) | 4th | (5.4) | ||||||||||||||
| 1) In 1947 194, 1951–59 196 and since 1963 200 mandates were awarded.2) The National Council elections take place every four years in October.
3) The Federal Assembly is politically divided into parliamentary groups, which can consist of several parties. 4) Until 1970 Conservative Christian Social People’s Party of Switzerland (KCVP), since then Christian Democratic People’s Party of Switzerland (CVP). 5) Until 1971 farmers, trade and citizens’ party (BGB), since then Swiss People’s Party (SVP). 6) State Ring of Independents, started in 1999 under the name of the List of Independents, dissolved at the end of 1999 as a federal party. 7) Liberal Democratic Party of Switzerland, 1961–77 Liberal Democratic Union of Switzerland (LIDUS); Name until 2009: Liberal Party of Switzerland (LPS) (then merger with the FDP). 8) National Action for People and Homeland / Republicans, since 1990 Swiss Democrats (SD). 9) 1971–75 Progressive Organizations in Switzerland (POCH), 1979–91 / 93 POCH and alternative Greens, 1995feminist and alternative Greens (FGA). 10) Founded in 1983 as the Federation of Swiss Green Parties, since 1986 the Swiss Green Party (GPS). 11) Auto Party of Switzerland, founded in 1985; since 1994 Freedom Party (FPS); no longer exists as a parliamentary group. 12) Green Liberal Party of Switzerland (GLP), founded at federal level in 2007. 13) Swiss Civil Democratic Party (BDP), founded in 2008as a spin-off from the SVP. 14) Created in 2009 through the merger of the FDP and the LPS. 15) Including Lega dei Ticinesi, 1991: 2 seats (1.4%), 1995: 1 seat (0.9%), 1999: 2 seats (0.9%), 2003: 1 seat (0.3%); 2007: 1 mandate (0.5%); 2011: 2 mandates (0.8%); 2015: 2 mandates (1.0%) |
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