Switzerland

## **General information about the policy process**

Switzerland is a federalist state, which means that state power is divided between three layers: the Confederation, the cantons and the communes. The principal of subsidiarity prevails between the different levels, which means that nothing that can be done at a lower political level should be done at a higher political level.

## **Main national actors**

### National actors involved

Swiss government

Swiss parliament

Federal courts

Votations

Political parties

### Regional actors involved

Regional/commune government

Regional/commune parliament

Regional court

Political parties

## The relationship between the actors

The legislative responsibility lies with the federal parliament and the regional parliaments. The government is responsible to execute and implement the laws enacted by the legislature. The relationship between the federal state and the cantons is the following: Tasks that are not expressly designated as federal matters are the responsibility of the cantons.

## Direct democracy and representation at the national level

While many countries apply a model of representative democracy, where the aggregation of votes elects representatives to parliament, Switzerland applies a semi-direct and federalist model, combining direct participation and representation, through voting. Democratic institutions are particularly well developed in Switzerland, with the model ranking first among the 47 members of the Council of Europe in comparative analyses of direct democracy at the national level.

### Representation

The political parties nominate candidates for representation in the elections. The people elect the Federal Parliament, consisting of the National Council, representing the entire population, and the Council of States, representing the 26 cantons. Parliament then elects the Swiss executive, the Federal Council. Historically, the Council of State had the function of protecting the rights of the cantons with a small population, giving them an equal voice than more populated cantons at the federal level.

### Direct democracy

Direct democracy is one of the special features of the Swiss political system. It allows the electorate to express their opinion on decisions taken by the Swiss Parliament and to propose amendments to the Federal Constitution. It is underpinned by two instruments: initiatives and referendums.

#### Popular initiative

The popular initiative allows citizens to propose an amendment or addition to the Constitution. It acts to drive or relaunch political debate on a specific issue. For such an initiative to come about, the signatures of 100,000 voters who support the proposal must be collected within 18 months. The authorities sometimes respond to an initiative with a direct counter-proposal in the hope that a majority of the people and the cantons support that instead.

#### Optional referendum

Federal acts and other enactments of the Federal Assembly are subject to optional referendums. These allow citizens to demand that approved bills are put to a nationwide vote. In order to bring about a national referendum, 50,000 valid signatures must be collected within 100 days of publication of the new legislation.

#### Mandatory referendum

All constitutional amendments approved by Parliament are subject to a mandatory referendum, i.e. they must be put to a nationwide popular vote. The electorate are also required to approve Swiss membership of specific international organisations.

## See also

https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/eda/en/documents/publications/EuropaeischeAngelegenheiten/Schweiz-und-EU\_en.pdf

## References

https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/political-system-of-switzerland/swiss-federalism.html

https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/politik-geschichte/politisches-system/direkte-demokratie.html