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The Swiss Government

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The Swiss Government THE EXECUTIVE: FEDERAL COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENTS OR The Swiss government 40 The Swiss Confederation a brief guide 57384-e_40-43_e_Regierung.indd 40 8.3. 008 4 37 54 r n most parts of the world, those in But with one major difference: the Igovernment make a point of being members of the Federal Council and the close to the people: shaking hands, Federal Chancellor can still continue to kissing babies and patting dogs. Almost mingle with the crowds without a care without exception you can see staged in the world and with no special secu- walkabouts – just like this picture of our rity measures or bodyguards, and these entire Executive Branch. crowds are not even handpicked or vet- ted. Long may it continue! The Swiss Confederation a brief guide 41 57384-e_40-43_e_Regierung.indd 41 18.3. 008 14 38 14 r The Federal Council The Swiss government comprises the seven members of the Federal Council, who are each elected by the United Federal Assembly for a four-year term of office. The president is elected for one year only and is regarded when in office as primus inter pares, or first among equals. He or she chairs the sessions of the Federal Council and undertakes special ceremonial duties. The Federal Chancellor acts as the govern- ment’s chief of staff. Doris Leuthard Head of the Federal Department Corina Casanova Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Micheline Calmy-Rey of Economic Affairs Member of the CVP Head of the Federal Department Head of the Federal Department Member of the CVP Federal Chancellor since 2008 of Justice and Police of Foreign Affairs Federal Councillor since 2006 Member of the SVP Member of the SP Federal Councillor since 2008 Federal Councillor since 2003 Samuel Schmid Head of the Federal Department of Hans-Rudolf Merz Vice-President of the Federal Council Defence, Civil Protection and Sport Head of the Federal Department of Finance Moritz Leuenberger Member of the SVP Member of the FDP Head of the Federal Department of Federal Councillor since 2001 Federal Councillor since 2004 the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications Member of the SP Pascal Couchepin President of the Swiss Confederation Federal Councillor since 1995 Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs Member of the FDP Federal Councillor since 1998 42 The Swiss Confederation a brief guide 57384-e_40-43_e_Regierung.indd 42 8.3.2008 4 38 28 r THE EXECUTIVE Collegiality According to Article 177 of the Federal Consti- tution, the Federal Council is a collegial body, in which each member has the same rights and responsibilities. The national government convenes every Wednesday morning for ordinary meetings where members express their views on the matters at hand and pass resolutions. As a rule, the Federal Council avoids putting mat- ters to a vote, as it is normally clear from the Role of the Federal Council As the highest ex- discussion what the majority view is. Decisions ecutive authority of the country, the Federal council is primarily are reached behind closed doors and must be responsible for the activities of the government. It must continu- presented in public unanimously, using the ar- ously guments that won the day in the discussions. • assess the situation arising from developments in the State and In other words, members who do not share the society and from events at home and abroad; opinion of the majority must nonetheless en- • define the fundamental goals of State action and determine the dorse the decisions of the Council as a whole. resources needed to attain them; • plan and co-ordinate government policy and ensure its imple- mentation; Concordance comes from the Lat- • represent the Confederation at home and abroad. in term “concordia”, which means unanimity or the popular expression “one heart and soul”. Furthermore, the Federal Council must regularly and systemati- Unlike the consideration for the various re- cally scrutinise the workings of the Federal Administration in or- gions of Switzerland, concordance is not stip- der to ensure its efficiency and the legality and practicality of its ulated in the constitution, but has developed activities. The Federal council also takes part in the legislative over many years through Switzerland’s highly procedure by developed mechanisms for the protection of • leading the preliminary proceedings of legislation; minorities. • submitting federal acts and decrees to the Federal Assembly; Concordance, does not, however, imply that • enacting ordinances in so far as the Federal Constitution or everyone in Parliament and in the government is federal law empowers it to do so. (or should be) in complete agreement, but rath- er that all opinions are represented and carry Finally, the Federal Council drafts the budget and the State ac- a weight that accords closely with the level of counts. It takes administrative action only in exceptional cases. support that they enjoy among the electorate. The Federal Council generally meets for one ordinary session In elections to the Federal Council, it regu- each week and takes decisions on some 2000 to 2500 matters each larly happens that although a party’s right to year. In addition to the extraordinary sessions, which are convened a seat is undisputed, a member of that party at short notice as and when the need arises, a number of special with more appeal to the parliamentary major- meetings are also held each year, which are dedicated to the con- ity is elected instead of the candidate nomi- sideration of especially complex and important issues. nated by the party itself. The sessions of the Federal Council are chaired by the Presi- dent of the Swiss Confederation, or in his or her absence, by the The magic formula is the Vice-President. They can last between one and ten hours. phrase used to describe the way in which the The Departments and the Federal Chancellery prepare the Federal Council has been constituted since agenda, but it is the Federal Council that takes the decisions as a 1959 when the seats allocated to parties rep- collegial body. Each member of the Federal Council has one vote. resented in the national government first cor- The Federal Chancellor is entitled to propose motions and speak, responded roughly to their share of the vote: but has no vote. the SP (26.3%), the FDP (23.7%) and the CVP (23.3%) each had two seats on the Federal The composition of the Federal Council in terms of political parties Council, while the SVP (11.6%) had one. 1848 1892 1916 1920 1929 1944 1959 2004 This situation continued unaltered for 44 FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP years. However, the National Council elections FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP of 19 October 2003 saw the SVP win 26.9% of FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP SP SP FDP FDP FDP FDP FDP SP SP SP the vote, thereby making it the strongest party FDP FDP FDP FDP SVP SVP SVP SVP in parliament. The CVP gained only 14% of the FDP FDP LPS CVP CVP CVP CVP SVP vote and was the weakest party. At the elec- FDP CVP CVP CVP CVP CVP CVP CVP tions to the Federal Council on 10 December, The diagram shows the representation of the political parties in the Federal Council parliament chose to elect two representatives since 1848: from more than seventy years in which its members all came from the from the SVP and only one from the CVP. Radical Party to the current composition of the federal government in accordance with the magic formula. The Swiss Confederation a brief guide 43 57384-e_40-43_e_Regierung.indd 43 8.3. 008 4 38 3 r ORGANISATION OF THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION OR Where the 36 000-strong federal staff work Staff: 3300 Staff: 2013 Staff: 2142 Staff: 11 799 Revenue: 79 000 000.– Revenue: 618 000 000.– Revenue: 125 000 000.– Revenue: 1 662 000 000.– Expenditure: 2 238 000 000.– Expenditure: 16 596 000 000.– Expenditure: 1 507 000 000.– Expenditure: 6 690 000 000.– Department Head: Department Head: Department Head: Department Head: Micheline Calmy-Rey Pascal Couchepin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf Samuel Schmid Federal Department of Federal Department of Federal Department of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA Home Affairs FDHA Justice and Police FDJP Defence, Civil Protection and Sport DDPS General Secretariat General Secretariat General Secretariat General Secretariat Federal Office for Federal Office of Office of the Armed State Secretariat Gender Equality FOGE Justice FOJ Forces Attorney General Directorate of Federal Office Federal Office of Political Affairs of Culture FOC Police Fedpol Defence Directorate of Swiss National Federal Office for International Law Library NL Migration FOM Civil protection Swiss Agency for Development Swiss Federal Office of the Attorney General and Cooperation SDC Archives SFA of Switzerland OAS Sport Directorate for Federal Office of Meteorology Federal Office of Management DM and Climatology MeteoSwiss Metrology Metas Armasuisse Swiss Diplomatic and Federal Office of Federal Institute of Consular Missions Abroad Public Health FOPH Intellectual Property IIP Federal Statistical Swiss Institute for Office FSO Comparative Law SICL Federal Social Insurance Office FSIO Federal Gaming Board FGB State Secretariat for Education and Research SER Federal Institutes of Technology Group ETH Group Swiss Agency for The colour-coded organisational units are Therapeutic Products mostly independent, which is why information Swissmedic on their staff, revenue and expenditure are not included in the respective department figures. 44 The Swiss Confederation a brief guide 57384-e_44-45_e_Organisation.ind44 44 8.3. 8 4 3 35 r THE EXECUTIVE Staff: 8182 Staff: 1932 Staff: 1690 Staff: 192 Revenue:
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