Switzerland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Switzerland Image File history File links Coat_of_Arms_of_Switzerland. ...

Constitution Federal Council (members) Moritz Leuenberger Pascal Couchepin (VP 07) Samuel Schmid Micheline Calmy-Rey (Pres. 07) Christoph Blocher Hans-Rudolf Merz Doris Leuthard Federal Chancellor (list) Federal Assembly Council of States (members) National Council (members) Political parties Elections 2003 - 2007 Voting in Switzerland Federal judiciary Federal Supreme Court Federal Criminal Court Federal Administrative Court Cantons Foreign relations Human rights

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Politics of Switzerland takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary democratic republic, whereby the Federal Council of Switzerland is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. For any change in the constitution, a referendum is mandatory; for any change in a law, a referendum can be requested. Through referendums, citizens may challenge any law voted by federal parliament and through initiatives introduce amendments to the federal constitution, making Switzerland the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... The table below shows the members of the Swiss Federal Council or Federal Councilors (in German: Bundesräte, in French: conseillers fédéraux, in Italian: consiglieri federali) for any given year since instauration of the federal council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: conseil fédéral, in Italian: consiglio... Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 1995 and President of the Confederation for the years 2001 and 2006. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... Samuel Schmid Samuel Schmid (born January 8, 1947) is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... Christoph Blocher (born 11 October 1940) is a Swiss politician, industrialist and member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police. ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss National Council (since 1999) and President of the Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP/PDC) (since 2004). ... The Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler, in German; Chancelier fédéral in French; Cancelliere della Confederazione in Italian) is the head of the Federal Chancellery, which acts as the general staff of the seven-member Federal Council (the federal government). ... The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, Assemblée fédérale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: Ständerat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... This is a list of the members of the Swiss Council of States of the current legislature (2003-2007). ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... This is a list of the 200 members of the Swiss National Council (as of January 2005). ... Political parties in Switzerland lists political parties in Switzerland. ... Politics of Switzerland Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Switzerland ... Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. ... Federal elections will be held in Swizerland in October 2007. ... Voting in Switzerland is the process with which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. ... The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (Tribunal fédéral in French, Schweizerisches Bundesgericht in German, Tribunale federale in Italian) is the supreme court of Switzerland. ... The Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland (FCC; German: , French: , Italian: ) is the court of first instance in cases subject to federal criminal jurisdiction in Switzerland. ... The Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland (FAC; German: , French: , Italian: ) is the judicial authority to which decisions of the federal authorities of Switzerland can be appealed from 1 January 2007 onwards. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... Flag of Switzerland. ... Human rights are comprehensively guaranteed in Switzerland, one of Europes oldest democracies. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... A map displaying todays federations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation). ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale, in Romansh: Cussegl Federal) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, Assemblée fédérale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... initiative, see Initiative (disambiguation). ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ...

Direct democracy

Switzerland features a system of government not seen at the national level on any other place on Earth: direct democracy, sometimes called half-direct democracy (this could, or could not be correct as theoretically, one could state that the people have full power over the law). Referendums on the most important laws have been used since the 1848 constitution. Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ...

Any citizen may challenge a law that has been passed by parliament. If that person is able to gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days, a national vote has to be scheduled where voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. A simple majority is the most common requirement in voting for a measure to pass, especially in deliberative bodies and small organizations. ...

Also, any citizen may seek a decision on an amendment they want to make to the constitution. For such an amendment initiative to be organised, the signatures of 100,000 voters must be collected within 18 months. Such a popular initiative may be formulated as a general proposal or - much more often - be put forward as a precise new text whose wording can no longer be changed by parliament and the government. After a successful vote gathering, the federal council may create a counterproposal to the proposed amendment and put it to vote on the same day. Such counterproposals are usually a compromise between the status quo and the wording of the initiative. Voters will again decide in a national vote whether to accept the initiative amendment, the counterproposal put forward by the government or both. If both are accepted, one has to additionally signal a preference. Initiatives have to be accepted by a double majority of both the popular votes and a majority of the states. An amendment is a change to the constitution of a nation or a state. ... In political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizens initiative) provides a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote on a proposed statute, constitutional amendment, charter amendment, or ordinance. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the English rock band. ... A double majority is the name given to a vote which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria. ...

Executive branch

Main article: Swiss Federal Council

The Swiss Federal Council is a seven-member executive council that heads the executive branch, operating as a combination cabinet and collective presidency. Any Swiss citizen eligible to be a member of the National Council can be elected^[1]; candidates do not have to register for the election, or to actually be members of the National Council. The Federal Council is elected by the Federal Assembly for a four-year term. Present members are: Doris Leuthard, Samuel Schmid, Micheline Calmy-Rey, Pascal Couchepin, Christoph Blocher, Hans-Rudolf Merz and Moritz Leuenberger. The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... The Swiss Federal Council (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the government as well as the head of state of Switzerland. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... Doris Leuthard (born 10 April 1963) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss National Council (since 1999) and President of the Christian Democratic Peoples Party (CVP/PDC) (since 2004). ... Samuel Schmid Samuel Schmid (born January 8, 1947) is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Christoph Blocher (born 11 October 1940) is a Swiss politician, industrialist and member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police. ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Moritz Leuenberger (born September 21, 1946) is a Swiss politician, lawyer, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 1995 and President of the Confederation for the years 2001 and 2006. ...

The largely ceremonial President and Vice-President of the Confederation are elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently. The current (2007) President and Vice President are Micheline Calmy-Rey and Pascal Couchepin, respectively. The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ...

The Swiss executive is one of the most stable governments worldwide. Since 1848, it has never been renewed entirely at the same time, providing a long-term continuity. From 1959 to 2003 the Federal Council was composed of a coalition of all major parties in the same ratio: 2 each from the Free Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and Christian Democratic People's Party and 1 from the Swiss People's Party. Changes in the council occur, in practice, only if one of the members resigns; this member is almost always replaced by someone from the same party (and often also from the same linguistic group). Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (also rendered as Socialist Party of Switzerland, in German: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SPS), French Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Italian Partito Socialista Svizzero, Romansh Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra. ... The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called Christian-Democratic Party; German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is a political party in Switzerland and a member of the Swiss coalition government. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ...

This "magic formula" has been widely criticised: in the 1960s, for excluding leftist opposition parties; in the 1980s, for excluding the emerging Green party; and particularly after the 1999 election, by the People's Party, which had by then grown from being the fourth largest party on the National Council to being the largest. In the elections of 2003, the People's Party received (effective January 1, 2004) a second seat in the Federal Council, reducing the share of the Christian Democratic Party to one seat. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... This article is about the year. ... Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Curia Confoederationis Helveticae - Swiss parliament and government in Bern

See also: List of members of the Swiss Federal Council, List of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 433 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 433 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The table below shows the members of the Swiss Federal Council or Federal Councilors (in German: Bundesräte, in French: conseillers fédéraux, in Italian: consiglieri federali) for any given year since instauration of the federal council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: conseil fédéral, in Italian: consiglio... The list of Presidents of the Swiss Confederation (1848-present) presents the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ...

Legislative branch

Switzerland has a bicameral parliament called the Federal Assembly, made up of: In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, Assemblée fédérale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ...

• the Council of States (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and
• the National Council (members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

The last elections to the National Council were held in 2003, see elections of 2003 for more details. The four parties that hold seats in the Federal Council dominate both chambers of the Assembly; they currently hold a supermajority of 171 seats (out of 200) on the National Council, plus every seat in the Council of States. The Council of States of Switzerland (German: Ständerat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. ... A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority in order to have effect. ...

Most hearings in the parliament are open to everyone, including foreigners.

Political parties and elections

Switzerland has a rich party landscape. The four parties represented in the Federal Council are generally called the government parties: Free Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Christian Democratic Party, and Swiss People's Party. A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues. ... Political parties in Switzerland lists political parties in Switzerland. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... Politics of Switzerland Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Switzerland ... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (also rendered as Socialist Party of Switzerland, in German: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SPS), French Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Italian Partito Socialista Svizzero, Romansh Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra. ... The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called Christian-Democratic Party; German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is a political party in Switzerland and a member of the Swiss coalition government. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ...

As of 2005 only the four government parties were represented in the Council of States. In the National Council the party landscape is more diverse with eight non-government parties having at least one seat. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Main article: Swiss federal election, 2003

Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. ... The National Council of Switzerland (German: Nationalrat, French: Conseil National, Italian: Consiglio Nazionale) is the large Chamber of the parliament and has 200 seats. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (also rendered as Socialist Party of Switzerland, in German: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SPS), French Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Italian Partito Socialista Svizzero, Romansh Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra. ... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called Christian-Democratic Party; German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is a political party in Switzerland and a member of the Swiss coalition government. ... The Green Party of Switzerland (Grüne Partei der Schweiz / Les verts - Parti écologiste suisse) is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland (the largest not represented on the Federal Council). ... PEV redirects here. ... The Liberal Party of Switzerland (German: Liberale Partei der Schweiz, French: Parti liberal suisse, Italian: Partito Liberale Svizzero) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (Switzerland: Eidgenössisch-Demokratische Union, Union Démocratique Fédérale, Unione Democratica Federale) is a political party in Switzerland. ... The Swiss Democrats (Schweizer Demokraten, Démocrates Suisses, Democratici Svizzeri) is a controversial right-wing (some say far-right) political party in Switzerland. ... The Swiss Party of Labour (German: Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz, French: Parti Suisse du Travail - Parti Ouvrier et Populaire, Italian: Partito Svizzero del Lavoro) is a socialist party in Switzerland. ... The Alternative List (Alternative Liste) is a combination of political parties in Switzerland. ... The Alternative List (Alternative Liste) (AL) is a left-wing political party in Switzerland. ... Solidarities (SolidaritéS) is a political party in Switzerland. ... The Christian Social Party (German: Christlich-soziale Partei; French: Parti chrétien-social) is a Swiss political party which states its core principles as living solidarity with the economically disadvantaged and the preservation of the environment. ... The Ticino League (Italian Lega dei Ticinesi) is a political party active in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, Switzerland. ... The Freedom Party of Switzerland (German: Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz) is a political party from Switzerland. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: Ständerat, French Conseil des Etats, Italian Consiglio degli Stati) is the upper house of the Swiss parliament. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (also rendered as Socialist Party of Switzerland, in German: Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SPS), French Parti socialiste suisse (PSS), Italian Partito Socialista Svizzero, Romansh Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra. ... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... The Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland (Also called Christian-Democratic Party; German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ) is a political party in Switzerland and a member of the Swiss coalition government. ...

Judicial branch

Switzerland has a Federal Supreme Court, with judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly. The function of the Federal Supreme Court is to hear appeals of cantonal courts or the administrative rulings of the federal administration. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (Tribunal fédéral in French, Schweizerisches Bundesgericht in German, Tribunale federale in Italian) is the supreme court of Switzerland. ... The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (Tribunal fédéral in French, Schweizerisches Bundesgericht in German, Tribunale federale in Italian) is the supreme court of Switzerland. ...

Political conditions

Although it has a diverse society, Switzerland has a stable government. Most voters support the government in the armed neutrality underlying its foreign and defense policies. Domestic policy poses some major problems, but the changing international environment has generated a significant reexamination of Swiss policy in key areas such as defense, neutrality, and immigration. Quadrennial national elections typically produce only marginal changes in party representation.

In recent years, Switzerland has seen a gradual shift in the party landscape. The rightist Swiss People's Party (SVP), traditionally the junior partner in the four-party coalition government, more than doubled its voting share from 11.0% in 1987 to 22.5% in 1999, thus overtaking its three coalition partners. This shift in voting shares put a strain on the "magic formula", the power-broking agreement of the four coalition parties. Since 1959 the seven-seat cabinet had comprised 2 Free Democrats, 2 Christian Democrats, 2 Social Democrats, and 1 Swiss People's Party, but in 2004, the Swiss People's Party took one seat from the Christian Democrats. In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union Démocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a cabinet in parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... For the TV show, see Magic Formula. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Swiss Federal Constitution limits federal influence in the formulation of domestic policy and emphasizes the roles of private enterprise and cantonal government. However, the Confederation has been compelled to enlarge its policymaking powers in recent years to cope with national problems such as education, agriculture, health, energy, the environment, organized crime, and narcotics. The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German, Constitution fédérale in French, Constituzione federale in Italian and Constituziun federala in Romansh) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ... In government, domestic policy is the counterpart of foreign policy; it consists of all government policy decisions, programs, and actions that primarily deal with internal matters, as opposed to relations with other nation-states. ... Capitalism generally refers to a combination of economic practices that became institutionalized in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, especially involving the right of individuals and groups of individuals acting as legal persons (or corporations) to buy and sell capital goods such as land, labor, and money (see finance... Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ... The term narcotic, derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that induced sleep (such state is narcosis). ...

The Index of perception of corruption puts Switzerland among the least corrupt nations. In the 2005 survey, Switzerland ranks 7th (out of 158 surveyed), with 9.1 out of 10 possible points, representing an improvement of 0.4 points over the past four years. Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Index of perception of corruption ordering the countries of the world according to the level of public perception of corruption of public and political functionaries. ...

Together with seven other European nations, Switzerland leads the 2005 index on Freedom of the Press published by Reporters Without Borders (with a score 0.5 points, zero being the perfect score). Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ...

Extremism

Political extremism is not a widespread phenomenon in Switzerland, although far-right extremism has increased slightly during the 2000s: the Swiss federal police counted 111 right extremist incidents in 2005, estimating that the number of members of the "right extremist scene" grew by 20% to some 1,200 (including loosely associated sympathisants reaching some 2,000, or 0.03% of the total population) in 2005. The emergence of the völkisch Partei National Orientierter Schweizer in 2000 has resulted in improved organization of the far right, but it has no noticeable impact on parliamentary or direct democracy. Far-right activists briefly won the attention of mainstream media for disrupting the 2005 celebration of the Swiss national holiday on the Rütli Meadow. Conversely, far left activism has shown a slight decrease, although an increasing tendency towards violence was observed. The federal police further recognizes some activity by extremist Islamist groups as well as extremist or violent ethnic Albanian, Turkish, Kurdish and Tamil groups which mostly remain under-cover and aim at funding their activities abroad.^[2] Far right, extreme right, ultra-right, or radical right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or relative position a group or person occupies within a political spectrum. ... The 2000s are the current decade, spanning from 2000 to 2009. ... The hard-to-translate word völkisch has connotations of folksy, folkloric, and populist. ... The Partei National Orientierter Schweizer (PNOS) (English: ) is a far-right völkisch political party in Switzerland founded in 2000. ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... The flag of Switzerland. ... Photo from Seelisberg of Rütli Rütli is a mountain meadow near Urnersee in Seelisberg where the legendary oath of the Rütlischwur first occurred. ... The term far left refers to the relative position a person or group occupies within the political spectrum. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ...

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Switzerland

Switzerland has avoided alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action. Only in June 2001, Swiss voters approved new legislation providing for the deployment of armed Swiss troops for international peacekeeping missions under UN or OSCE auspices as well as international cooperation in military training. The Swiss have broadened the scope of activities in which they feel able to participate without compromising their neutrality. Flag of Switzerland. ... June 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December June 1 - Royal Family of Nepal massacred. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ...

Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as a neutral intermediary and host to major international treaty conferences. The country has no major dispute in its bilateral relations. Some things which can be neutral are: Neutral country, in politics, a country takes no side in a conflict. ...

Energy politics

See also: Nuclear power in Switzerland

The energy generated in Switzerland comprises around 40 percent nuclear power and 60 percent from hydroelectricity. Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with five reactors in operation as of 2007. ... This article is about applications of nuclear fission reactors as power sources. ... Hydroelectricity is electricity produced by hydropower. ...

On May 18, 2003, two referendums regarding the future of nuclear power in Switzerland were held. The referendum Electricity Without Nuclear asked for a decision on a nuclear power phase-out and Moratorium Plus asked about an extension of an existing law forbidding the building of new nuclear power plants. Both were turned down: Moratorium Plus by a margin of 41.6% for and 58.4% opposed, and Electricity Without Nuclear by a margin of 33.7% for and 66.3% opposed. The former ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants was the result of a citizens' initiative voted on in 1990 which had passed with 54.5% Yes vs. 45.5% No votes (see Nuclear power in Switzerland for details). is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. ... Look up Moratorium in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... initiative, see Initiative (disambiguation). ... Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with five reactors in operation as of 2007. ...

Notes

1. ^ Swiss Federal Constitution, art. 175 al. 3
2. ^ 2005 report on domestic security

The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German, Constitution fédérale in French, Constituzione federale in Italian and Constituziun federala in Romansh) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ...

Books

• Wolf Linder, Yannis Papadopoulos, Hanspeter Kriesi, Peter Knoepfel, Ulrich Klöti, Pascal Sciarini:
  Handbook of Swiss Politics, Neue Zürcher Zeitung Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-3-03823-136-3
  Handbuch der Schweizer Politik / Manuel de la politique suisse, Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2007, ISBN 978-3-03823-136-3

See also

• International relations of Switzerland
• Modern history of Switzerland
• Demographics of Switzerland
• Direct democracy
• Initiative
• Referendum
• Concordance system
• Constitutional conventions of Switzerland
• Voting in Switzerland

The international relations of Switzerland are the responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and of all other departments for their respective fields of activity. ... After World War II, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a nuclear bomb. ... Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the countrys languages and cultural practices. ... Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... initiative, see Initiative (disambiguation). ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... In Swiss politics, concordance system (German Konkordanzsystem) refers to the presence — since 1952 — of all of the four major parties in the Federal Council, a system that was originally forced on the parliament electing the council by the direct democracy of Switzerland, where a sizeable opposition could in principle paralyse... A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state. ... Voting in Switzerland is the process with which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Politics of Switzerland

• Swiss government site - English link at bottom
• Swiss parliament site
• Political rights at the federal level