Part of the Politics series |
Direct democracy |
---|
![]() |
![]() |
This article is part of a series on the |
![]() |
---|
![]() |
A popular initiative (German: Volksinitiative, French: Initiative populaire, Italian: Iniziativa popolare, Romansh: Iniziativa dal pievel) allows people to suggest laws on a national, cantonal, and municipal level.
On a federal level it may only change the federal constitution, not propose an ordinary law. Along with the popular referendum and in some cantons recall elections, it is a form of direct democracy.
Popular initiatives were introduced as a tool at the federal level in the 1891 partial revision of the Swiss Federal Constitution. Between 1893 and 2014, out of a total of 192 federal initiatives put to the vote, 22 were successful. Another 73 were withdrawn, mostly in favour of a counter-proposal.
The first successful initiative was the first ever launched, asking for "prohibition of slaughter without prior anesthesia" (ostensibly phrased as a matter of animal rights, but in practice directed against shechita in particular, a practice that remains outlawed in Switzerland to the present day).
The successful initiatives date to the following years: 1893, 1908 (absinthe), 1918, 1920 (gambling), 1921, 1928 (gambling), 1949, 1982, 1987 (protection of wetlands), 1990 (nuclear power moratorium), 1993 (National Day), 1994 (protection of alpine ecosystems), 2002 (UN membership), 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 (minaret ban), 2010, 2012, 2013 (executive pay), 2014 (immigration), 2014 (convicted child sex offender work ban).
Successful initiatives were thus quite rare, with a gap of 20 years during 1929–1949, and even of more than 30 years during 1949–1982 during which not a single initiative found favour with the electorate. In the 21st century, the picture changes significantly, with five successful initiatives during the 2000s, and another five just during 2010–2014.
Among the 170 rejected initiatives (as of October 2014), there are several that still played a major role in Swiss politics. Notable among them, also for the high voter turnout they inspired, were the anti-immigration initiatives of James Schwarzenbach in 1970 and 1974 (74.7% and 70.3% turnout, respectively), and the 1989 initiative with the aim of abolishing the Swiss Army (69.2% turnout).
The federal popular initiative (German: Eidgenössische Volksinitiative, French: Initiative populaire fédérale, Italian: Iniziativa popolare federale) is an instrument of direct democracy in Switzerland. It allows citizens to propose changes to the Swiss Federal Constitution. A votation will be organised for every proposition of modification that collected 100,000 valid signatures in 18 months. [1]
The most frequent themes tackled by initiatives are healthcare, taxes, welfare, drug policy, public transport, immigration, asylum, and education. There are only two kinds of restrictions on the content:
It is different from the mandatory referendum in that in a popular initiative, the proposition to change the constitution comes from the population and not from the parliament. The authorities, even if they don't like it, cannot prevent an initiative which has collected enough signatures from being held, but they can make a counter proposal, known as counter-project. [1]
A double majority of people and cantons is required to change the constitution.
Popular initiatives exist at the federal, cantonal, and municipal levels. [3]
At the time of its introduction to the Swiss Constitution in 1891, the federal initiative system was initially meant to let groups that were not represented in the parliamentary process voice their concerns. [4]
Since the 2000s, it has been increasingly used by political parties to bypass the parliamentary process. [5] Some critics argue that it undermines the whole Swiss political system, based on compromise and adaptation to one another, as it suppresses any possibility to negotiate on an issue (an initiative can only be accepted or rejected as a whole). Others argue that it is democracy in its purest form. [6]
Critics also argue that the multiplication of initiatives undermines the stability of the legal framework, as initiatives proposing drastic reforms are more and more frequent. [7]
Canton | Type | Signatures required | Signature Collection period | Counter Proposal | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total constitutional revision | 3,000 signatures | 12 months | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated in: Constitution of the Canton of Aargau, Section 64 - 65 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 1 eligible voter | N/A | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated in: Constitution of the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Art. 7 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 300 signatures | Counter proposal allowed | |||
Constitution amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated in: Constitution of the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Art.51 a. - Art.55 e. | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 30,000 signatures | 6 months | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | 15,000 signatures | ||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Intercantonal / International contract negotiation | |||||
Elaboration of government resolution | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Bern, Art. 58 - Art. 60 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 1,500 signatures | No limit | |||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Art. 28 - Art. 29 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 3,000 signatures | 18 months | |||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 6,000 signatures | 90 days | Counter-proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Fribourg, | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 3% of eligible voters | 4 months | Counter-proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Legislative initiative | 2% of eligible voters | ||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Art. 56 - Art. 64 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 1 eligible voter | N/A | Municipalities may propose these initiatives | ||
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Glarus, Art. 58 and Art. 59 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 4,000 signatures | 12 months | Counter proposal allowed | 1/6 of municipalities may propose this initiative | |
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Legislative initiative | 3,000 signatures | 1/7 of municipalities may propose this initiative | |||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Graubünden, Art. 12 - Art. 15 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 5,000 signatures | No limit | Counter proposal allowed | 5 municipalities may propose this initiative | |
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Ordinary law | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Jura, Art. 75 - Art. 76 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 5,000 signatures | 12 months | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment | |||||
Ordinary law | 4,000 signatures | ||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Lucerne, Art. 20 - Art. 22 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 10,000 signatures | 6 months | No counter proposal | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | 6,000 signatures | ||||
Legislative initiative | 4,500 signatures | ||||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Neuchatel, Art. 40 | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 1,000 signatures | 2 months | Counter proposal allowed | District administrator may propose this initiative | |
Constitutional amendment initiative | 500 signatures | ||||
Legislative initiative | 250 signatures | District administrator and municipalities may propose this initiative | |||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of Nidwalden,Art. 54 - Art. 54 a. | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 500 signatures | No limit | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | |||||
Regulated by: Constitution of Canton of Obwalden, | |||||
Total constitutional revision | 8,000 signatures | 5 months | Counter proposal allowed | ||
Constitutional amendment initiative | |||||
Legislative initiative | 6,000 signatures | This initiative is a fully formulated draft law. | |||
Unity initiative | 4,000 signatures | This initiative is a general proposal for a law | |||
Regulated by: Constitution of the Canton of St. Gallen, Art. 41-43 |
![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2014) |
The government of Switzerland is a federal state with direct democracy.
Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the electorate decides on policy initiatives without elected representatives as proxies. This differs from the majority of currently established democracies, which are representative democracies. The theory and practice of direct democracy and participation as its common characteristic was the core of work of many theorists, philosophers, politicians, and social critics, among whom the most important are Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, and G.D.H. Cole.
The National Council is the lower house of the Federal Assembly, with the upper house being the Council of States. Containing 200 seats, the National Council is the larger of the two houses.
Christoph Wolfram Blocher is a Swiss industrialist and politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2004 to 2007. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), he headed the Federal Department of Justice and Police. As an industrialist, he became wealthy as CEO and majority shareholder in the EMS-Chemie corporation, now run by his daughter, Magdalena Martullo-Blocher.
The Swiss People's Party, also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre, is a national conservative and right-wing populist political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Marcel Dettling, it is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 62 members of the National Council and 6 of the Council of States.
The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation of 18 April 1999 is the third and current federal constitution of Switzerland.
A directorial republic is a country ruled by a college of several people who jointly exercise the powers of a head of state and/or a head of government.
Voting in Switzerland is the process by which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. The history of voting rights in Switzerland mirrors the complexity of the nation itself. The polling stations are opened on Saturdays and Sunday mornings but most people vote by post in advance. At noon on Sunday, voting ends and the results are usually known during the afternoon.
An employers' organization or employers' association is a collective organization of manufacturers, retailers, or other employers of wage labor. Employers' organizations seek to coordinate the behavior of their member companies in matters of mutual interest, such as during negotiations with trade unions or government bodies. Employers' organizations operate like trade unions and promote the economic and social interests of its member organisations.
Ten referendums were held in Switzerland during 2008. The first two were held on 24 February on business tax reform and aircraft noise. A further three were held on 1 June on public information campaigns, naturalisation and health reform. The final five were held on 30 November on legalising cannabis, making the pension age flexible, restricting the right of appeal of associations against construction projects, amending the constitutional article on narcotics and eliminating the statute of limitations with respect to pornographic crimes against children.
In Swiss politics, the magic formula is an arithmetic formula for dividing the seven executive seats on the Federal Council among the four coalition parties. The formula was first applied in 1959. It gave the Free Democratic Party, the Catholic Conservative Party and the Social Democratic Party two seats each, while the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents received one seat.
Twelve national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2012. On 11 March voters across the country were asked five questions on employment leave, second houses, building society savings, the Fixed Book Price Agreement and gambling revenues. On 17 June there were three questions on healthcare, foreign policy and home buying. On 23 September there were three on a smoking ban, secure housing in old age and music lessons at school. A final referendum was held on 25 November on the Animal Diseases Act.
Three referendums were held in Switzerland during 1947. The first was held on 18 May on a popular initiative for "economic reform and rights concerning work", and was rejected by voters. The second and third were both held on 6 July on revising the articles of the federal constitution covering the economy and a federal law on aged and bereavement insurance. Both were approved by voters.
Four referendums were held in Switzerland during 1949. The first two were held on 22 May on revising article 39 of the federal constitution concerning the Swiss National Bank and a federal law amending a 1928 law on measures against tuberculosis, with both rejected by voters. The third was held on 11 September on a popular initiative "for the recurrence to direct democracy" and was narrowly approved. The final one was held on 11 December on a federal law to amend the employment status of federal civil servants, and was also approved.
The Fédération des Entreprises Romandes Genève is a Swiss employer's organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. It groups 28,000 members, including multinational corporations as well as 9,000 independent workers and 80 trade associations. It is involved in negotiations with the trade unions, political lobbying and the provision of services and business networking opportunities for its members.
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This article summarises referendum laws and practice in various countries.
In Switzerland, the federal popular initiative "against mass immigration" was a referendum that aimed to limit immigration through quotas, as it had been prior to the bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) launched in 2002.
Thirteen national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2016.
Pierre Cormon, born 1965 in Ambilly, France, is a Swiss writer and has published books in French and English, including Swiss Politics for Complete Beginners.