Politics of Switzerland Benedict Gombocz

Introduction to Switzerland’s political system Politics of Switzerland function in structure of multi-party federal

parliamentary democratic republic, while Federal Council is head of government.

Executive power is executed by government and federal administer; it is not concentrated in any specific individual.

Federal legislative power is exercised both in government and two chambers of Federal Assembly of Switzerland (Bundesversammlung; Assemblée fédérale; Assemblea federale; Assamblea federala).

Judiciary is independent of executive and legislature. Referendum is compulsory for any change or modification in

constitution; referendum can be demanded for any change or modification in a law.

Through use of referenda, citizens may defy any law voted by parliament and by use of initiatives introduce amendments to federal constitution, making Switzerland closer than any state in the world to direct democracy.

Government of Switzerland Government: Federal republic,

directorial system and direct democracy

Federal Council:◦ Doris Leuthard

◦ Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (Pres. 12)

◦ Ueli Maurer (VP 12)

◦ Didier Burkhalter

◦ Simonetta Sommaruga

◦ Johann Schneider-Ammann

◦ Alain Berset

Federal Chancellor: Corina Casanova

Indirect and direct democracy As in all democracies, citizens in Switzerland elect representatives in

their own interest. However, Switzerland also grants its citizens the opportunity to take

direct part in decision-making. Although direct democracy is in no way unique to Switzerland (Italy and

many states of the United States are among those who likewise grant voters significant decision-making role), Swiss political system is probably more extensive than any in the world.

Swiss citizens may offer legislation of their own, or thwart legislation already passed by parliament; the only instance in which parliament may overrule this right is if it decides that the proposal being considered is unconstitutional, or if it infringes international law.

Executive Branch: The Federal Council Federal Council (Bundesrat; Conseil fédéral;

Conseil fédéral), government of Switzerland, has seven members; a different member is elected Federal President every year.

Federal President (Bundespräsident(in); Président(e) de la Confédération; Presidente della Confederazione; President(a) da la Confederaziun) exercises no special powers or privileges; the president simply continues to run his or her own department.

Switzerland’s four largest parties are represented in council.

Federal Council is helped and informed on operation of its business by Federal Chancellery.

Chancellor attends weekly cabinet meetings in consultative capacity; is sometimes nicknamed “Eighth councillor”.

Federal Councillors are much more available than their counterparts in most nations.

Swiss people are used to seeing them travelling around with tram or in train just like anyone else – much to astonishment of many foreign security officials escorting leaders on state visits; people can speak to them without being removed by security guards.

Federal Assembly of Switzerland Switzerland’s federal parliament.

Convenes in Bern in Federal Palace.

Bicameral assembly; made up of 200-seat National Council and 46-seat Council of States, two houses that have identical powers.

Members of both houses represent cantons, but while seats in National Council are administered relative to population, every canton has two seats in Council of States (Ständerat; Conseil des Etats; Consiglio degli Stati; Consiglio degli Stati) with the exception of six ‘half-cantons’, which have one seat each.

A law must be passed by both houses for it to pass.

In specific conditions, which includes electing Federal Council, Federal Chancellor, General (Swiss generals are only chosen in times of great national danger), or federal judges.

Political parties represented in Federal Council (government parties)

Free Democratic Party* (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei, FDP; Parti radical-démocratique, PRD; Partito liberale-radicale, PLR; Partida liberaldemocrata svizra, PLD)

Social Democratic Party, or Democratic Union of the Centre (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz, SP; Parti socialiste suisse, PS; Partito Socialista Svizzero, PS; Partida Socialdemocrata, PS)

Christian Democratic Party (Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz, CVP; Parti Démocrate-Chrétien, PDC; Partito Popolare Democratic, PPD; Partida Cristiandemocratica, PCD)

Swiss People’s Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei, SVP; Union démocratique du centre, UDC)

Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz, BDP; Parti Bourgeois Démocratique Suisse, PBD; Partito Borghese Democratico Svizzero, PBD; Partida Burgais Democratica Svizra, PBD)◦ *Dissolved party

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Member of Swiss Federal Council since 1

January 2008 and current President of Switzerland since 1 January 2012.

Born 16 March 1956 in Felsberg.

Also directs Federal Department of Finance (Swiss finance minister).

Is married and has three children.

Is daughter of ex-federal councillor Leon Schlumpf.

Second federal councillor whose father served in same office, after Eugène Ruffy, and sixth woman to be elected to Swiss Federal Council.

Acquired her degree in law at University of Zurich (Universität Zürich) in 1981 and her LLD in 1990.

Worked as lawyer from 1987-1998.

Was elected to district court of Trin in 1985; presided over it from 1991-1997.

Was cantonal legislative of Grisons from 1994-1998; was elected to cantonal government as first woman in 1998, and acted as president twice: first in 2001 and again in 2005.

Corina Casanova Current Federal Chancellor of Switzerland

(Bundeskanzler(in); Chancelier(-ière) fédéral(e); Cancelliere(-a) della Confederazione; Chancelier(a) federal(a)).

Born 4 January 1956 in Ilanz.

Worked as lawyer in practice of ex-President of Swiss Federal Supreme Court, Giusep Nay, and Red Cross delegate in countries such as South Africa, Angola, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Also serves as federal parliamentary official and advisor to Federal Councillors Flavio Cotti and Joseph Deiss, both of Christian Democratic People’s Party.

Elected to office of Vice-Chancellor by Swiss Federal Assembly in August 2005; that assembly elected her to office of Chancellor, in December 2007, in course of 2007 Federal Council election.

Was assigned by Swiss Federal Council member of directional committee for electronic government in Switzerland.

Member of Christian Democratic People’s Party and speaks six languages: Romansch, German, French, Italian, English, and Spanish.

FDP. The Liberals Classical liberal political party.

Joint-biggest party in Federal Council, third-biggest in National Council, and second-biggest in Council of States.

Formed on 1 January 2009 as merger of Free Democratic Party (FDP) and smaller Liberal Party; these two parties maintain separate organizations in Vaud and Valais.

Its youth organization is Young Liberals.

Has most members of any Federal Council party, with 130,000 members as of 2010 (30% more than CVP, second-placed party).

Member of Liberal International and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party.

Its leader is Fulvio Pelli.

Current FDP representatives are Didier Burkhalter and Johann Schneider-Ammann.

Social Democratic Party of Switzerland Largest centre-left political party in

Switzerland.

Founded on 21 October 1888; currently second biggest of four leading coalition parties in Switzerland.

Left-most party with representatives in Swiss Federal Council; also second biggest political party in Swiss parliament.

Current SP members in Swiss Federal Council are Alain Berset and Simonetta Sommaruga.

Largest pro-European party in Switzerland and favors Switzerland’s membership in the European Union, contrary to most Swiss political parties.

Full member of Socialist International and associate member of Party of European Socialists.

Swiss People’s Party Also known as Democratic Union of the Centre.

National conservative and right-wing populist political party.

Chaired by Toni Brunner, but headed by Christoph Blocher; biggest party in Federal Assembly, with 54 members of National Council and five of Council of States.

Founded on 22 September 1971 by merge of Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB) and Democratic Party, whereas BGB was founded on background of emerging native farmers’ parties in late 1910s.

Originally did not see any increased support outside that of BGB, and remained at only about 11% of the vote throughout 1970s and 1980s; this changed, in contrast, during 1990s, when the party experienced deep structural and ideological changes under inspiration of Christoph Blocher, making the party strongest party in Switzerland by 2000s.

In line with reforms led by Blocher, the party began to concentrate gradually more on issues like euroscepticism and opposition to immigration.

Currently has 54 seats in Federal Assembly; its vote share of 29% in the 2007 Federal Council election was the highest known vote for one party in Switzerland.

Subsequent to Blocher’s failed re-election as Federal Councillor in 2007, the party’s moderates split off and founded the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP).

Is not a member of any European political party, but rather sits alongside the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The End. Das Ende. La Fin. Alla fine.

Bibliography http://www.swissworld.org/en/politics/government_

and_parliament/the_federal_council/