NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Swiss Federal Council

The Swiss Federal Council (German: Schweizerischer Bundesrat, French: Conseil fédéral suisse, Italian: Consiglio federale svizzero, Romansh: Cussegl federal svizzer) 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: BundesrÃ¤te, in French: conseillers fÃ©dÃ©raux, in Italian: consiglieri federali) for any given year since instauration of the federal council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: conseil fÃ©dÃ©ral, 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 fÃ©dÃ©ral 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, AssemblÃ©e fÃ©dÃ©rale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... The Council of States of Switzerland (German: StÃ¤nderat, 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. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ...

Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal government. Following the elections of 14 June 2006, the members of the Federal Council are, in order of seniority: Switzerland is a federal republic, and perhaps the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... 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. ... 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 Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (in Italian Dipartimento federale dell, dei trasporti, dell e delle comunicazioni (DATEC)) is one of the seven departments of Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... The Federal Department of Home Affairs is the Swiss interior ministry. ... 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. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... 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. ... In Switzerland, the Federal Department of Justice and Police (in French: Département fédéral de justice et police, in German: Eidgenössisches Justiz- und Polizeidepartement) is one of the seven departments of the federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss minister of... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... The Federal Department of Finance (in German: Eidgenössisches Finanzdepartement (EFD), in French Département fédéral des finances) is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government. ... 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 Department of Economic Affairs (in French Département fédéral de léconomie, German Eidgenössisches Volkswirtschaftsdepartement) is one of the seven departments of the federal government of Switzerland, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council. ...

Origins and history of the Federal Council

Origins of the institution

The Federal Council was instituted by the 1848 Federal Constitution as the "supreme executive and directorial authority of the Confederation".^[1] 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). ... The Swiss Constitution (Bundesverfassung in German, Constitution fÃ©dÃ©rale in French, Constituzione federale in Italian and Constituziun federala in Romansh) is at the highest level of Switzerlands judicial system. ...

When the Constitution was written, constitutional democracy was still in its infancy, and the founding fathers of Switzerland had little in the way of examples. While they drew heavily on the U.S. Constitution for the organisation of the federal state as a whole, they opted for the collegial rather than the presidential system for the executive branch of government. This accommodated the long tradition of the rule of collective bodies in Switzerland. Under the Ancien Régime, the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy had been governed by councils of pre-eminent citizens since time immemorial, and the later Helvetic Republic (with its equivalent Directorate^[2]) as well as the cantons that had given themselves liberal constitutions since the 1830s had also had good experiences with that mode of governance.^[3] It has been suggested that constitutional republic and republican democracy be merged into this article or section. ... Founding Fathers are persons instrumental in the establishment of an institution, usually a political institution, especially those connected to the origination of its ideals. ... The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ... Most of this article is about heads of state. ... During the Thirty Years War, Switzerland was a relative oasis of peace and prosperity (Grimmelshausen) in war-torn Europe, mostly because all major powers in Europe were depending on Swiss mercenaries, and would not let Switzerland fall in the hands of one of their rivals. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... 1550 illustration for the Sempacherbrief of 1393, one of the major alliance contracts of the Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland. ... Official seal of the Helvetic Republic (depicting William Tell). ... Directorate is an agency headed by a director, usually a subdivision of a major government department. ...

Today, only two other states have collective rather than unitary heads of state, but the collegial system of government found widespread adoption in modern democracies in the form of cabinet government with collective responsibility. Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ...

Changes in composition

The 1848 constitutional provision providing for the Federal Council — and indeed the institution of the Council itself — has remained unchanged to this day, even though Swiss society has changed profoundly since. The Federal Council thus represents one of the longest traditions of continuous democratic government in the world, comparable to that of the offices of the U.S. President or the British Prime Minister. Nonetheless, some significant developments deserve to be mentioned here. For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ...

Party representation

The 1848 Constitution was one of the few successes of the democratic revolutions of 1848. In Switzerland, the democratic movement was led — and the new federal state decisively shaped — by the Radicals (presently the Free Democratic Party, FDP). After winning the Sonderbundskrieg, the Swiss civil war, against the Catholic cantons, the Radicals at first used their majority in the Federal Assembly to fill all the seats on the Federal Council. This made their former war opponents, the Catholic-Conservatives (presently the Christian Democratic People's Party, CVP), the opposition party. Only after Emil Welti's resignation in 1891 after a failed referendum on railway nationalisation did the Radicals decide to co-opt the Conservatives by supporting the election of Josef Zemp. The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a revolutionary wave which erupted in Sicily and then, further triggered by the revolutions of 1848 in France, soon spread to the rest of Europe and as far afield as... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-dÃ©mocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ... The Federal Assembly in the chamber of the National Council. ... 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 Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ... Emil Welti (April 23, 1825 - February 24, 1899) was a Swiss politician. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... A co-option or more often co-optation is an election where members of a committee (or similar group) vote in order to fill a vacancy on that committee or group. ... Josef Zemp (September 2, 1834 - December 8, 1908) was a Swiss politician. ...

The process of involving all major political movements of Switzerland into the responsibility of government continued during the first half of the 20th century. It was hastened by the FDP's and CVP's gradually diminishing voter shares, complemented by the rise of new parties of lesser power at the ends of the political spectrum. These were the Social Democratic Party (SP) on the Left and the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB; presently the People's Party, SVP) on the Right. In due course, the CVP received its second seat in 1919 with Jean-Marie Musy, while the BGB joined the Council in 1929 with Rudolf Minger. In 1943, during World War II, the Social Democrats were also temporarily included with Ernst Nobs. In 1847, a civil war broke out between the Catholic and the Protestant cantons (Sonderbundskrieg). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A political spectrum is a way of visualizing different political positions. ... 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. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union DÃ©mocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... 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. ... Jean-Marie Musy (April 10, 1876 - April 19, 1952) was a Swiss politician. ... Rudolf Minger (November 13, 1881 - August 23, 1955), Swiss politician. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Ernst Nobs (July 14, 1886 - March 15, 1957) was a Swiss politician. ...

The 1959 elections, following the resignation of four Councillors, finally established the Zauberformel, the "magical formula" that determined the Council's composition during the rest of the 20th century and established the present nature of the Council as a permanent, voluntary grand coalition.^[4] In approximate relation to the parties' respective strength in the Federal Assembly, the seats were distributed as follows: A grand coalition is a coalition government in a parliamentary system where political parties representing a vast majority of the parliament unite in a coalition. ...

During that time, the FDP and CVP very slowly but steadily kept losing voter share to the SVP and SP, respectively, which overtook the older parties in popularity during the 1990s. The governmental balance was finally upset after the 2003 elections, when the now-powerful SVP demanded a CVP Council seat for their leader Christoph Blocher and threatened to otherwise leave the government. The Assembly (including many CVP representatives) acceded to that demand and ousted CVP Councillor Ruth Metzler-Arnold. It remains to be seen whether this shift in composition endures, or whether the Council's composition will remain contested and changeable. The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-dÃ©mocratique 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 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 Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union DÃ©mocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... 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. ... Ruth Metzler-Arnold (born May 23, 1964) is a Swiss politician. ...

Women on the council

Women, who gained suffrage on the federal level as late as 1971, remain not well represented on the Council. In 1983, the non-election of the first official female candidate, Lilian Uchtenhagen and again in 1993 the non-election of Christiane Brunner (both SP), caused a stir. The Social Democrats each time considered withdrawing from the Council altogether.^[4] Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Christiane Brunner (b. ...

In total, only five out of 109 Councillors (or out of 27 Councillors elected since 1971) have been women:

Elisabeth Kopp (born December 16, 1936 in ZÃ¼rich) is a Swiss politician and the first woman elected to the Swiss Federal Council (1984-1989). ... Ruth Dreifuss (pronounced dryfoos) (born January 9, 1940) is a Swiss politician. ... Ruth Metzler-Arnold (born May 23, 1964) is a Swiss politician. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... 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). ...

Regional balancing acts

Up until 1999, the Constitution mandated that no canton could hold more than one seat on the Federal Council. Until 1987, the place of origin was used to determine which canton a Federal Councilor was from. After 1987, the place of residence (or, for councilors who were previously members of the Federal Assembly or of a Canton's legislative or executive body, the canton in which they got elected) became the determinant factor.^[5] Nothing prevented candidates from moving to politically expedient cantons, though, and the rule was abandoned in 1999. Since then, the Constitution has mandated an equitable distribution of seats among the cantons and language regions of the country, without setting concrete quotas.

Historically, at least two Council seats have always been held by French- or Italian-speaking Swiss, and no Canton has in fact ever had more than one of its citizens on the Federal Council. Since December 2003, however, two of the members of the Federal Council, Moritz Leuenberger and Christoph Blocher, have resided in the Canton of Zürich. 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. ... 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. ... The Canton of ZÃ¼rich (German: Kanton ) has a population of about 1. ...

Operation of the Federal Council

Presidency

Each year, one of the seven Councillors is elected by the Federal Assembly as President of the Confederation. The Federal Assembly also elects a Vice President. By convention, the positions of President and Vice President rotate annually, each Councillor thus becoming Vice President and then President every seven years while in office. The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, AssemblÃ©e fÃ©dÃ©rale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ...

According to the Swiss order of precedence, the President of the Confederation is the highest-ranking Swiss official. He or she presides over Council meetings and carries out certain representative functions that, in other countries, are the business of the Head of State. In urgent situations where a Council decision cannot be made in time, he or she is empowered to act on behalf of the whole Council. Apart from that, though, he or she is a primus inter pares, having no power above and beyond the other six Councillors. The Swiss order of precedence is a hierarchy of important positions within the federal government of Switzerland. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. ...

The President is not the Swiss head of state (this function is carried out by the Council in corpore, that is, in its entirety). However, it has recently become usual that the President acts and is recognized as head of state while conducting official visits abroad, as the Council (also by convention) doesn't leave the country in corpore. More often, though, official visits abroad are carried out by the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Visiting heads of state are received by the Federal Council in corpore. Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... 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. ...

Council meetings

The Federal Council operates mainly through weekly meetings, which are held each Wednesday at the Bundeshaus in Bern, the seat of the Swiss federal government. Curia Confoederationis Helveticae Bundeshaus or Federal Palace (French: Palais fÃ©dÃ©ral, Italian: Palazzo federale; Latin: Curia Confoederationis Helveticae) is the name of the building in Bern in which the Swiss Federal Assembly (federal parliament) and the Federal Council is housed. ... Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German BÃ¤rn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after ZÃ¼rich, Geneva and Basel). ... Switzerland is a federal republic, and perhaps the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. ...

Apart from the seven Councillors, the following officials also attend the meetings:

After the meetings, the Councillors always take lunch together. The Council also meets regularly in conclave to discuss important topics at length, and annually conducts what is colloquially referred to as its "school excursion", a day trip to some attractions in the President's home canton. In that and other respects, the Council operates not unlike a board of directors of a major corporation. In Switzerland, the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland (Bundeskanzler, Chancelier fédéral, Cancelliere della Confederazione) is elected by the Swiss parliament. ... Annemarie Huber-Hotz (born 16 August 1948 in Baar, Zug) has been Federal Chancellor of Switzerland since 2000. ... Corina Casanova (born 1956) is a Swiss lawyer and Vice-Chancellor of Switzerland. ... Oswald Sigg (born 1944) is a Swiss journalist and presently a federal official. ... A spokesperson (person could be replaced with the gender of the person), or spokesmodel is a person who speaks on behalf of others, but is understood not to be necessarily part of the others (e. ... conÂ·clave (knklv, kng-) n. ... The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer (that is, someone who works for the company) charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. ... Corporate redirects here. ...

Decisions and responsibilities

Each Federal Councillor heads a government department, much like the ministers in the governments of other countries. Colloquially and by the press, they are often referred to as ministers, e.g. the head of the DDPS as "minister of defence", even though no such post officially exists. However, as Council members, they are not only responsible for their own department, but also for the business of their colleagues' departments as well, and for the conduct of the government and the federal administration as a whole. A minister or a secretary is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ...

Decisions to be taken by the Council are always prepared by the responsible department. For example, a change in the salaries of federal employees would be proposed to the council by the head of the Federal Department of Finance, to whose department the Federal Office of Personnel belongs. Before a vote is taken at a Council meeting, though, all proposals are circulated in writing to the heads of departments, who commission the senior career officials of their department - the heads of the Federal Offices - to prepare a written response to offer criticism and suggestions. This is called the co-report procedure (Mitberichtsverfahren/procédure de co-rapport), designed to build a wide consensus ahead of a Council meeting. The Federal Department of Finance (in German: Eidgenössisches Finanzdepartement (EFD), in French Département fédéral des finances) is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government. ...

To prepare for important decisions, an additional public consultation is sometimes conducted, to which the cantons, the political parties and major interest groups are invited, and in which all members of the public can participate. If a change in a federal statute is to be proposed to the Federal Assembly, this step is mandated by law. In such cases, the consultation procedure also serves to identify political concerns that could later be the focus of a popular referendum to stop passage of the bill at issue. The twenty-six cantons of Switzerland are the states of the federal state of Switzerland. ... Political parties in Switzerland lists political parties in Switzerland. ... The Statute of Grand Duchy of Lithuania A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ... 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. ...

The decisions themselves are formally taken by voice vote by a majority of the Councillors present at a meeting. However, the great majority of decisions are arrived at by consensus; even though lately there is said to be a trend towards more contentious discussions and close votes. A voice vote in a legislative body refers to a vote taken on a topic where the participants respond to a question with yea (yes), nay (no), or present (abstain). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Secrecy

The meetings of the Federal Council and the result of the votes taken are not open to the public, and the records remain sealed for 50 years. This has lately been the subject of some criticism. In particular, the parties at the ends of the political spectrum argue that this secrecy is contrary to the principle of transparency. However, the Council has always maintained that secrecy is necessary to arrive at consensus and to preserve the collegiality and political independence of the individual Councillors. Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: A political spectrum is a way of visualizing different political positions. ... In the physical sciences, specifically in optics, a transparent physical object is one that can be seen through. ... Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ...

Despite the secrecy rule, details of the votes and the arguments in Council are sometimes leaked to the press, resulting in (generally fruitless) investigations and criminal prosecutions of the leaking staff member. An Internet leak occurs when a partys confidential intellectual property is released to the public on the Internet. ...

Constitutional conventions

Due to the Federal Council's unique nature as a voluntary grand coalition of political opponents, its operation is subject to numerous constitutional conventions. Most notable is the principle of collegiality; that is, the Councillors are supposed not to publicly criticise one another, even though they are often political opponents. In effect, they are expected to publicly support all decisions of the Council, even against their own personal opinion or that of their political party. In the eye of many observers, this convention has become rather strained after the 2003 elections (see below). A grand coalition is a coalition government in a parliamentary system where political parties representing a vast majority of the parliament unite in a coalition. ... A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state. ... Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Election and composition

Election mode

The members of the Federal Council are elected for a term of four years by both chambers of the federal parliament sitting together as the Federal Assembly. Each Councillor is elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. Every adult Swiss citizen is eligible, but in practice, only Members of Parliament or more rarely, members of Cantonal governments are nominated by the political parties and receive a substantial amount of votes. The voting is conducted in several rounds: in the first two rounds, anyone can enter their name; but in subsequent rounds, the person receiving the least votes is removed from the race until one candidate gains an absolute majority. The Bundeshaus (Swiss parliament building) The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung; in French, AssemblÃ©e fÃ©dÃ©rale; in Italian language, Assemblea federale), is Switzerlands federal parliament. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voters choices are confidential. ... Absolute majority is a supermajoritarian voting requirement which is stricter than a simple majority. ...

With Council seats allocated to parties by unwritten agreement (see above), Federal Council elections generally are unexciting, pleasant affairs. Usually, the party which has a seat to fill presents two candidates with mainstream viewpoints to the United Federal Assembly, which then chooses one. This was not so, however, during the 2003 election, which was the most controversial in recent memory (see also above).

Once elected, Councillors remain members of their political parties, but hold no leading office with them. In fact, they usually maintain a certain political distance from the party leadership, because under the rules of collegiality, they will often have to publicly promote a Council decision which does not match the political conviction of their party (or of themselves). Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ...

Present political composition

Currently (as of 2006), the Council is considered to have a conservative and liberal (in the classical sense) majority, composed of Pascal Couchepin / Hans-Rudolf Merz (FDP) and Christoph Blocher / Samuel Schmid (SVP). On the Left, there are SP members Moritz Leuenberger and Micheline Calmy-Rey. The exact alignment of the newest Councillor, Doris Leuthard from the centrist CVP, is yet to become clear, but her predecessor Joseph Deiss was said to vote sometimes with one wing of the council and sometimes with the other. It is sometimes reported that liberal Councillor Pascal Couchepin often casts the decisive vote on divisive issues, although due to the Council's rule of secrecy, all such information must be taken with caution. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism[1] and laissez-faire liberalism[2]) is a doctrine stressing the importance of human rationality, individual property rights, natural rights, the protection of civil liberties, constitutional limitations of government, free markets, and individual freedom from restraint as exemplified in the writings of Adam... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... Hans-Rudolf Merz (born 10 November 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. ... 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. ... â€œLeftismâ€ redirects here. ... 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. ... Micheline Calmy-Rey (born July 8, 1945) is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2003. ... 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). ... Joseph Deiss (born January 18, 1946) is an economist and Swiss politician. ...

Resignation

Once elected for a four-year-term, Federal Councillors can neither be voted out of office by a motion of no confidence nor can they be impeached. Reelection is possible for an indefinite number of terms, and it has historically been extremely rare for Parliament not to reelect a sitting Councillor. This has only happened thrice - to Ulrich Ochsenbein in 1854, to Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel in 1872 and to Ruth Metzler-Arnold in 2003. In practice, therefore, Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office. A motion of no confidence, also called a motion of non-confidence, a censure motion, a no-confidence motion, or simply a confidence motion, is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ... Ulrich Ochsenbein (November 24, 1811 - November 3, 1890) was a Swiss politician. ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel (May 11, 1811 - August 6, 1893) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Ruth Metzler-Arnold (born May 23, 1964) is a Swiss politician. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Status of Federal Councillors

Councillors' lives

Unlike most senior members of government in other countries, the Federal Councillors are not entitled to an official residence. Mostly, they have chosen to rent apartments or hotel suites in Bern (at their own expense); the only contemporary exception being Moritz Leuenberger, who daily commutes by train from Zürich to Bern. However, they are entitled to use the Federal Council's country estate, Lohn, for holidays; this estate is also used to host official guests of the Swiss Confederation. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... // An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside. ... 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. ... View of the inner city with the four main churches visible, and the Albis in the backdrop ZÃ¼rich (German: , ZÃ¼rich German: ZÃ¼ri , French: , in English generally Zurich, Italian: ) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and... The rural palace of Lohn in Kehrsatz, near Bern, Switzerland, is the official estate of the Swiss Federal Council, the government of Switzerland. ...

While Councillors can draw on an Army security detail if they need personal protection (in particular during official events), it is more usual to encounter them without any escort at all in the streets, restaurants and tramways of Bern. Councillors are also entitled to a personal bailiff (Weibel) who accompanies them, in a colourful uniform, to official events. This tradition is directly traceable — through the republican governments of the ancient Swiss cantons — back to the lictors of the ancient Roman Republic. Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ... The lictor, derived from the Latin ligare (to bind), was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus Roman provinces on the eve of the assassination of Julius Caesar, c. ...

The spouses of Councillors do not play an official part in the business of government, apart from accompanying the Councillors to official receptions.

Councillors' salary

Federal Councillors draw a yearly remuneration of CHF 400,000 (circa EUR 256,000 / USD 305,000).^[6] After completing a full term of office, they are entitled to a perennial yearly pension of half that amount after leaving office. Remuneration is pay or salary, typically monetary compensation for services rendered, as in a employment. ... CHF is: The ISO 4217 code for the Swiss franc. ... â€œEURâ€ redirects here. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

While Councillors are forbidden by law to hold any other post during their term of office, it is not unusual for them to accept lucrative business engagements after leaving office, e.g., on the board of directors of major Swiss corporations.

Immunity

Federal Councillors, like Members of Parliament, enjoy absolute legal immunity for all statements made in their official capacity. Immunity confers a status on a person or body that makes that person or body free from otherwise legal obligations such as, for example, liability for damages or punishment for criminal acts. ...

For crimes and misdemeanors not relating to their official capacity, they can be criminally prosecuted only with the permission of the Federal Council as a whole while in office. The prosecutor can appeal a refusal to grant permission to the Federal Assembly.^[7]

Prosecution for crimes and misdemeanors that do relate to the Councillors' official capacity requires the assent of the Federal Assembly. In such cases, Parliament can also suspend the Councillor in office (but not actually remove her or him).^[8]

According to statements to the media by a Federal Chancellory official,^[9] in none of the few cases of accusations against a Federal Councillor has the permission to prosecute ever been granted. Such cases usually involved statements considered offensive by members of the public. However, one unnamed Councillor involved in a traffic accident immediately prior to his date of resignation was reported to have voluntarily waived his immunity, and Councillor Elisabeth Kopp decided to resign upon facing an inquiry over allegations of secrecy violations. Elisabeth Kopp (born December 16, 1936 in ZÃ¼rich) is a Swiss politician and the first woman elected to the Swiss Federal Council (1984-1989). ...

Assessment and calls for change

Historically, the collegial government of Switzerland has been assessed both internationally and nationally as exceptionally competent and stable. The Federal Council as a whole (although not individual members) has consistently maintained public approval and confidence rates in excess of sixty percent, possibly also because under the Swiss system of direct democracy, voters can vent their displeasure with government decisions when deciding individual issues at the ballot box. 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. ...

However, lately there has been a growing contention that the Federal Council is often too slow to respond to the needs of the moment, too resistant to change and too weak to lead the powerful federal bureaucracy. Various changes have been proposed to address these issues, including expanding the powers of the presidency, expanding the Federal Council itself or adding a second layer of ministers between the Council and the departments. None of these proposals has yet borne fruit, however. The Politics series Politics Portal This box: Bureaucracy means political rule of offices. ...

After the 2003 elections, many observers have also noted that many present councillors tend to behave as self-centered alpha males (or alpha females, in the case of Councillor Calmy-Rey) instead of as team players as has historically been the case. They point to the visible mutual animosity and breaches of collegiality notable between Christoph Blocher and Pascal Couchepin / Moritz Leuenberger, respectively. Others, however, contend that such confrontations have always occurred, but now tend to be hyped by media eager to report on juicy political conflicts. An alpha male or alpha female is the individual in the community to whom the others follow and defer. ... This article or section should be merged with teamwork In order to work successfully within a team, it is important to become a team player. ... 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. ... Pascal Couchepin (born April 5, 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. ...

If Switzerland were ever to join the European Union (which as of 2006 does not appear likely to happen in the next five to ten years), it would certainly have to reform its system of governance and direct democracy in order to allow its members of government to make binding decisions at the European Council level. The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ...

List of "firsts" in the Federal Council

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 495 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1122 Ã— 1358 pixel, file size: 673 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 495 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (1122 Ã— 1358 pixel, file size: 673 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 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). ... Ulrich Ochsenbein (November 24, 1811 - November 3, 1890) was a Swiss politician. ... Jonas Furrer (March 3, 1805 - July 25, 1861) was a Swiss politician. ... Martin Josef Munzinger (November 11, 1791 - February 6, 1855) was a Swiss politician. ... Daniel-Henri Druey (April 12, 1799 - March 29, 1855) was a Swiss politician. ... Friedrich Frey-HerosÃ© (October 12, 1801 - September 22, 1873) was a Swiss politician. ... Wilhelm Matthias Näff (February 19, 1802 - January 21, 1881) was a Swiss politician. ... Stefano Francscini (October 23, 1796 - July 19, 1857) was a Swiss politician. ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Ulrich Ochsenbein (November 24, 1811 - November 3, 1890) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 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. ... Josef Zemp (September 2, 1834 - December 8, 1908) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... EugÃ¨ne Ruffy (August 2, 1854 - October 25, 1919) was a Swiss politician. ... Victor Ruffy (January 18, 1823 - December 29, 1869) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... An octogenarian is a person in the age group of 80 to 89 years old. ... Adolf Deucher (February 15, 1831 _ July 10, 1912) was a Swiss politician. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... 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. ... Gustave Ador Gustave Ador (December 23, 1845 - March 31, 1928) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre German: Schweizerische Volkspartei, French: Union DÃ©mocratique du Centre, Italian: Unione Democratica di Centro, Romansh: Partida Populara Svizra) is a political party in Switzerland. ... Rudolf Minger (November 13, 1881 - August 23, 1955), Swiss politician. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. ... Ernst Nobs (July 14, 1886 - March 15, 1957) was a Swiss politician. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... 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. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Diverse women. ... Elisabeth Kopp (born December 16, 1936 in ZÃ¼rich) is a Swiss politician and the first woman elected to the Swiss Federal Council (1984-1989). ... The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), French: Parti radical-dÃ©mocratique suisse (PRD), Italian: Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR)) is a free market liberal party in Switzerland. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Ruth Dreifuss (pronounced dryfoos) (born January 9, 1940) is a Swiss politician. ... A domestic partnership (known as Pairage) is a legal or personal relationship between individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are not joined in a traditional marriage or a civil union. ... 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. ... Netzwerk, student apartments designed by Loewensberg. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... The President of the Confederation (Italian: , French: , German: ) is the presiding member of the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerlands seven-member executive. ...

Contents

Origins and history of the Federal Council

Origins of the institution

Changes in composition

Party representation

Women on the council

Regional balancing acts

Operation of the Federal Council

Presidency

Council meetings

Decisions and responsibilities

Secrecy

Constitutional conventions

Election and composition

Election mode

Present political composition

Resignation

Status of Federal Councillors

Councillors' lives

Councillors' salary

Immunity

Assessment and calls for change

List of "firsts" in the Federal Council

See also

Notes

References

External link

Contents

Origins and history of the Federal Council GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Origins of the institution

Changes in composition

Party representation

Women on the council

Regional balancing acts

Operation of the Federal Council

Presidency

Council meetings

Decisions and responsibilities

Secrecy

Constitutional conventions

Election and composition

Election mode

Present political composition

Resignation

Status of Federal Councillors

Councillors' lives

Councillors' salary

Immunity

Assessment and calls for change

List of "firsts" in the Federal Council

See also

Notes

References

External link

Origins and history of the Federal Council