Government and Politics of Switzerland

Government Type

federal republic

Administrative Divisions

26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Legal System

civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Karin KELLER-SUTTER (since 1 January 2025); Vice President Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2025); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Karin KELLER-SUTTER (since 1 January 2025); Vice President Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2025); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 11 December 2024 (next to be held December 2025) election results: Karin KELLER-SUTTER elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - NA; Guy PARMELIN elected vice president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - NA

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung in German, Assemblée Fédérale in French, Assemblea Federale in Italian) consists of the Council of States (Ständerat in German, Conseil des États in French, Consiglio degli Stati in Italian), with 46 seats — two representatives from each of the 20 full cantons and one from each of the 6 half-cantons, with members serving four-year terms — and the National Council (Nationalrat in German, Conseil National in French, Consiglio Nazionale in Italian), with 200 seats, whose members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Elections: Council of States — last held on 22 October 2023 (each canton determines its own electoral procedures and timing); National Council — last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027). Election results: Council of States — seats by party: The Centre 15, FDP.The Liberals 12, Swiss People's Party (SVP) 9, Social Democratic Party (SP) 9, Green Party 5, other 6; National Council — percent of vote by party: SVP 28.6%, SP 18.3%, FDP.The Liberals 14.4%, The Centre 14.6%, Green Party 9.4%, Green Liberal Party 7.2%, other parties under 5%; seats by party: SVP 62, SP 41, The Centre 29, FDP.The Liberals 28, Green Party 23, Green Liberal Party 10, other parties 7.

Judicial Branch

Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly)

Political Parties

Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and other minor parties

Head of State

President Karin KELLER-SUTTER

Head of Government

President Karin KELLER-SUTTER

Cabinet

Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its members for a four-year term

Elections

Council of States — last held on 22 October 2023 (each canton determines its own electoral procedures and timing); National Council — last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027).

Election Results

Council of States — seats by party: The Centre 15, FDP.The Liberals 12, Swiss People's Party (SVP) 9, Social Democratic Party (SP) 9, Green Party 5, other 6; National Council — percent of vote by party: SVP 28.6%, SP 18.3%, FDP.The Liberals 14.4%, The Centre 14.6%, Green Party 9.4%, Green Liberal Party 7.2%, other parties under 5%; seats by party: SVP 62, SP 41, The Centre 29, FDP.The Liberals 28, Green Party 23, Green Liberal Party 10, other parties 7.

Constitution

revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998; adopted by referendum 18 April 1999; officially entered into force 1 January 2000

Independence

1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National Holiday

Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

International Organization Participation

ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco consulate(s): Boston

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela P. WILLEFORD embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44

Capital City

Bern

Location

46 55 N, 7 28 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

origin of the name is uncertain but may derive from a 2nd century B.C. Celtic place name, possibly "berna" meaning "cleft," that was subsequently adopted by a Roman settlement

United States Embassy Bern Sulgeneckstrasse 19, 3007 Bern Telephone: (41) (31) 357-7011 (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.) Emergency phone: after-hours/weekends – (41) (31) 357-7777 Facsimile: (41) (31) 357-7280 United States Consular Agency, Zurich, Zurich America Center, Dufourstrasse 101, 8008 Zurich Telephone: (41) (43) 499-2960 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Facsimile: (41) (43) 499-2961 Email: zurich-ca@state.gov United States Consular Agency, Geneva rue Versonnex 7, 1207 Geneva Telephone: (41) (22) 840-5160 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Facsimile: (41) (22) 840-5162. Email: Geneva-CA@state.gov

Military Branches

Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe)

Service Age and Obligation

19-26 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years