There is no other country in the world where the government is tested as often as in Switzerland... Find out more about the Swiss Political System in this presentation!

1. © 2014 WikiRendum
The Swiss Political System

2. © 2014 WikiRendum
Source Img: tbawfg.blog.com/

3. © 2014 WikiRendum
Political organisation of Switzerland
Confederation
26 Cantons
2352 Communes
Source Img: www3.unil.ch/

4. © 2014 WikiRendum
How many cantons has Switzerland?
Did you know that…
In all the cantons democratic rights are exercised by secret ballot, except
for Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus where the Landsgemeinde is the legislature.
Source Img: www.swiss-switzerland.com/

5. © 2014 WikiRendum
What is the Landsgemeinde?
 One of the oldest forms of direct democracy.
 Voting is accomplished by those in favor of a
motion raising their hands.
Source Img: www.myswitzerland.

6. © 2014 WikiRendum
Separation of the Powers
Legislative
The Federal Council
in Bern
The Federal Supreme Court
in Lausanne
The Federal Assembly
in Bern
Source Img: www.parlament.ch/
Source: Roland Zumbühl of Picswiss: http://www.picswiss.ch/geo.html
Source: John Doe at de.wikipedia

7. © 2014 WikiRendum
The Executive Power: The Federal Council
?Did you know that…
Since 1959, the Swiss government has been a coalition of
four major political parties. The classic distribution of seats in the
Swiss parliament is known as the “magic formula”.
• .
Source Img: www.admin.ch/
www.sp-ps.ch/
www.plr.ch/
www.udc.ch/
www.pdc.ch/
7 federal councillors called
the “seven wise men”,
each representative
of a Swiss party
Three women are
currently
represented in the
Federal Council

8. © 2014 WikiRendum
What is the current
distribution of
the «magic formula»?
The Executive Power: The Federal Council
Source Img: en.hdyo.org/

9. © 2014 WikiRendum
Source img: www.admin.ch
The Executive Power: The Federal Council
• 1 seat for the Christian Democratic People's Party
• 2 seats for the Liberal Party
• 2 seats for the Social Democratic Party
• 1 seat for the Swiss People's Party
• 1 seat for the Conservative Democratic Party
Did you know that…
Mr. Didier Burkhalter, FDP
is the current President of
the Swiss Confederation (2014).
The President
is elected
by the
Assembly,
traditionally
in rotation
and
for an
one-year
term.

10. © 2014 WikiRendum
The Executive Power: The Federal Council
Member of Council Party
Simonetta Sommaruga Social Democrats
Alain Berset Social Democrats
Doris Leuthard Christian Democrats
Didier Burkhalter FDP.The Liberals
Johann Schneider-Ammann FDP.The Liberals
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Conservative Democrats
Ueli Maurer Swiss People's Party
Source Img: www.admin.ch/ www.bdp.info/
www.sp-ps.ch/ www.plr.ch/
www.pdc.ch/ www.udc.ch/

11. © 2014 WikiRendum
Did you know that…
It is particular to the Swiss Parliament that the deputies are not
professional as in France or Italy. Members of the Federal Assembly
spend about 60% of their working time to their parliamentary mandate,
and most of them practice a profession unrelated to their function in the
Parliament. They serve for 4 years and can be reelected.
The Federal Assembly
The Legislative Power: The Federal Assembly
The Council
of States
The National
Council
The Federal
Assembly
Source Img: www.parlament.ch/

12. © 2014 WikiRendum
THE LEGISLATIVE POWER
The Legislative Power: The Federal Assembly
Source Img: www.parlament.ch/
Council of States (CS)
• 46 members
• Each canton sends
2 representatives to
the Parliament
• Each half-canton
sends 1
representative
• Mr. Germann is the
current President of
the CS
National Council (NC)
• 200 members
• Elected under a
system of
proportional
representation
• Each canton forms
a constituency
• Mr. Lustenberger is
the current
President of the NS

13. © 2014 WikiRendum
The Judicial Power: The Federal Supreme Court
Did you know
that the
Federal
Supreme
Court…
Source Img: www.parlament.ch/
• Is the Supreme Judicial Authority of the
Confederation,
• Has 38 full-time and 19 part-time judges,
• Has jurisdiction over violations of federal law;
public international law; intercantonal law; cantonal
constitutional rights, etc.

14. © 2014 WikiRendum
The Political Organisation of Switzerland
Source Img: www.parlament.ch/
www.causeur.fr/

15. © 2014 WikiRendum
What are the political
rights of Swiss
citizens?
Source Img: www.socialbeta.com/

16. © 2014 WikiRendum
Vote
Elect
Run for
office
Referen
dum
Intitia-
tive
The right to vote: The
citizen can decide on YES or
NO to a specific question
asked during a consultation.
The right to
elect: The
citizen can
choose its
candidates
during
elections.
The right of
eligibility: The
citizen can be a
candidate to an
election.
The right of
referendum:
Citizens can ask for a
popular consultation on
a question approved by
the Federal Assembly.
The right of
initiative:
The citizens
can propose a
partial or total
modification of
the federal
Constitution. The political
rights of
Swiss
citizens

17. © 2014 WikiRendum
What are the best practices
in the Swiss direct democracy?
Through these constitutionalized instruments, the Swiss
people can pronounce themselves on a law or on a federal
legislative review.
Referendum Popular Initiative
• mandatory
• facultative initiated by the Swiss people
NOT initiated by the Swiss people

18. © 2014 WikiRendum
What is a mandatory
referendum?
Source Img: www.libdemvoice.org/

19. © 2014 WikiRendum
 The Federal Assembly votes on a modification of the Constitution
or on an international treaty.
1. Popular
Votation
2. Double
Majority
3. Practice
The Federal
Council must
organise a
popular vote.
The modification of
the constitution is
accepted if the
majority of people
and cantons said
YES.
If the mandatory
referendum
succeeds, the
constitutional
modification is
effective.
Most frequent instrument at the national level

20. © 2014 WikiRendum
How do Swiss citizens
initiate an optional
referendum?
Source Img: www.hdpaperwall.com/

21. © 2014 WikiRendum
OPTIONAL
REFERENDUM
STEP
1
STEP
2
STEP
3
STEP
4
STEP
5
If the referendum
succeeds, the
Federal Council is
required to
organise a
popular voting
The Federal
Assembly adopts a
law or a federal
decree.
The citizens accept or
refuse the law, which is
submitted to votation.
The canton’s majority is
not required.
If the optional
referendum
succeeds,
the law is
effective
Within 90
days, citizens
can gather
50’000
signatures
and then ask
for a popular
consultation

22. © 2014 WikiRendum
How do Swiss citizens
launch a popular
initiative?
Source Img: www.activatingdemocracy.com

23. © 2014 WikiRendum
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Source Img: www.petitions24.net/
The popular initiative is
submitted to the Swiss
citizens.
APPROVAL or DISMISSAL
of the initiative/ counter proposition
Popular initiative
The Federal Assembly
can decide on a counter
proposal.
The Federal Council must organize a
popular vote. In certain cases, the
Parliament can invalidate the initiative.
Gather 100’000 signatures
withing 18 months.

24. © 2014 WikiRendum
Number of swiss popular initiatives
initiatives currently in treatment
initiatives that have been cancelled by authorities
initiatives submitted to the vote
initiatives that have been retired by their authors
initiatives that didn't obtain the required signatures
Source: www.admin.ch/

25. © 2014 WikiRendum
There is no other country in the world where
the government is tested as often as in
Switzerland.
Source Img: echrblog.blogspot.ch/
Swiss direct democracy

26. © 2014 WikiRendum
For more info, visit our
website:
www.wikirendum.org
Let’s build tomorrow’s Democracy.
Source Img: www.facebook.com/