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Swiss politics and political institutions:
3. Government and Parliament
Prof. Dr. Andreas Ladner
iMPA 2011
| ©IDHEAP – [email protected] | | 19/04/23 |
| ©IDHEAP – [email protected] | | 19/04/23 |
Presidential vs. parliamentary systems
Presidential systems: US, South
America (Chile, Colombia, Peru,
Argentina, ...), South Korea, Sudan,
Uganda
Parliamentary systems: Great
Britain, Germany, Spain,
Netherlands, Sweden, India,
Singapore
„The White House“
„No. 10 Downing Street“
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Features
Parliamentary systems
Majority of the parliament decides on the government
If the party(ies) in power loses the majority a new government is needed (new elections)
This system additionally needs someone at th top of the country, especially if the government is dismissed
Centralization of power in the hands of the government and the majority in parliament
High level of discipline within the parliamentary group in power
The opposition controls the government
Presidential systems
Head of government is at the same time the head of the country
Directly elected by the citizens His/her destiny does not depend
on the parliament Independence of government and
parliament (checks and balances) The parliament controls the
president
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Advantages of a presidential system
The President is directly elected
Separation of power
Speed and decisiveness
Stability
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Inconveniences of a presidential system
Tendency towards authoritarianism
Political gridlock between president and parliament
How to guarantee leadership change?
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Advantages of a parliamentary system
It is easier to pass legislations
Bears attractive features for nations that are ethnically,
racially, or ideologically divided
Power is more evenly spread
More room for debates
Juan Linz: more successful for the transision to
democracy
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Inconveniences of a parliamentary system
No direct legitimacy of the prime minister through
elections (?)
Common destiny of prime minister and majority of the
parliament
Members of parliament are restricted to support prime
minister
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France: semi-presidential system
The semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a
president and a prime minister are both active participants in the day-
to-day administration of the state. It differs from a parliamentary
republic in that it has a popularly elected head of state who is more
than a purely ceremonial figurehead, and from the presidential system
in that the cabinet, although named by the president, is responsible to
the legislature, which may force the cabinet to resign through a motion
of no confidence.
The term was first coined in a 1978 work by political scientist Maurice
Duverger to describe the French Fifth Republic, which he dubbed a
régime semi-présidentiel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system
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The Swiss system
Swiss democracy: neither presidential (like for
example the US) nor parliamentary (like for
example England).
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The Government
Multi-party government (power sharing)
7 Departments
Equal rights and duties for all members
President = primus inter pares
Joint decisions on all departments
A common „official“ position to be defended by all members
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The Parties in Government
Periode: Radicals Christian Democrats
Swiss People's
Party
Social Democrats
1848 - 1890 71891 - 1918 6 11919 - 1928 5 21929 - 1942 4 2 11943 - 1952 3 2 1 11953 - 1958 3 3 11959 - 2003 2 2 1 22003 - 2007 2 1 2 22007 - 2 1 (-2) 2
(
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Steps towards the magic formulae – power sharing
17.12.1891: Joseph Zemp (CVP)
11.12.1919: Jean-Marie Musy (CVP)
13.12.1929: Rudolf Minger (SVP)
15.12.1943: Ernst Nobs (SP)
17.12.1959: Hans-Peter Tschudi (SP, BS, 129) and Willy Spühler (SP, ZH, 149)
?
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The Head of the Government changes every year (2003-2008)
2005 2006
2007
2004
2006 2008
20052003
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Federal Council
Since the very beginning of Switzerland the Government
always counted seven members with equal competences.
The chairperson („president“) changes every year.
Art. 174 Federal Council
The Federal Council shall be the supreme governing and
executive authority of the Confederation.
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Art. 175 Composition and election
1 The Federal Council shall have seven members.
2 The members of the Federal Council shall be elected by the Federal Assembly
following each general election to the National Council.
3 They shall be elected for a term of office of four years from all the Swiss
citizens who are eligible for election to the National Council.
4 In electing the Federal Council, care must be taken to ensure that the various
geographical and language regions of the country are appropriately
represented.
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Two principles
The principle of departements
The principle of collegiality
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The elections of the Federal Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Federal_Council_election
