The Executive Branch: Federal Council and Departments
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No other picture elicits as many comments and is interpreted as widely by the media as the official photograph of the national government – and this is certainly not surprising with this year’s photograph: the term The Executive B “dynamic” is used almost unanimously in every description. 34 e Branch: Federal Council and Departments 35 The Federal Council The Swiss Government consists of the seven members of the Federal Council who are elected by the United Federal Assembly for a four-year term. The President of the Swiss Confederation is elected for just one year and is regarded as Primus inter pares, or first among equals during that time. He or she chairs the sessions of the Federal Council and undertakes special ceremonial duties. Micheline Calmy-Rey Pascal Couchepin Moritz Leuenberger Samuel Schmid President of the Swiss Confederation Vice-President of the Federal Council Head of the Federal Department of the Environ- Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs ment, Transport, Energy and Communications Civil Protection and Sport Member of the Social Democratic Party Member of the Radical Free Democratic Party Member of the Social Democratic Party Member of the Swiss People’s Party Federal Councillor since 2003 Federal Councillor since 1998 Federal Councillor since 1995 Federal Councillor since 2001 Role of the Federal Council As the highest executive authori- Furthermore, the Federal Council ty of the country, the Federal must regularly and systematical- Council is primarily responsible ly scrutinise the workings of the for the activities of government. Federal Administration in order It must continuously to ensure its efficiency as well as • assess the situation arising the legality and practicality of from developments in the State its activities. and society and from events at The Federal Council also home and abroad; takes part in the legislative pro- • define the fundamental goals cedure by of State action and determine • leading the preliminary pro- the resources needed to attain ceedings of legislation; them; • submitting federal acts and • plan and co-ordinate govern- decrees to the Federal Assem- ment policy and ensure its bly; implementation; • enacting regulations in so far • represent the Confederation at as the Federal Constitution home and abroad. or federal law empowers it to do so. 36 Christoph Blocher Hans-Rudolf Merz Doris Leuthard Annemarie Huber-Hotz Head of the Federal Department Head of the Federal Department of Finance Head of the Federal Department Federal Chancellor since 2000 of Justice and Police Member of the Radical Free Democratic Party of Economic Affairs Member of the Swiss People’s Party Federal Councillor since 2004 Member of the Federal Councillor since 2004 Christian Democratic People’s Party Federal Councillor since 2006 Finally, the Federal Council hears nary sessions, which are conve- vote. The Federal Chancellor is The Magic Formula is the phrase used to and determines matters of admi- ned at short notice as and when entitled to propose motions and describe the way in which the Federal Coun- cil has been constituted since 1959 when nistrative law in so far as provi- the need arises, a number of spe- speak, but has no vote. the seats allocated to parties represented in sion is made in federal legislation cial meetings are also held each As a general rule, the Federal national government first corresponded on administrative jurisdiction. year, which are dedicated to the Council avoids taking votes as roughly to their share of the vote: the SPS (26.3%), the FDP (23.7%) and the CVP It drafts the budget and the consideration of especially com- such; a majority position often (23.3%) each had two seats on the Federal State accounts and approves can- plex and important issues. already emerges from the opinions Council, the SVP (11.6%) had one. This situation continued unaltered for tonal decrees in controversial The sessions of the Federal expressed during the discussions. 44 years. However, the National Council cases as long as this is provided Council are chaired by the Presi- The “magic formula” and the elections of 19 October 2003 saw the SVP win 26.9% of the vote, thereby making it the for in a federal decree requiring a dent of the Confederation, or in collegial principle in effect turns strongest party in parliament. The CVP compulsory referendum. his or her absence, by the Vice- the Federal Council into a small gained only 14% of the vote and was subse- quently the weakest party. At the elections The Federal Council takes President. They can last between version of parliament with the to the Federal Council on 10 December, par- administrative action itself only one and ten hours. main parties represented on a liament chose to elect two representatives from the SVP and only one from the CVP. in exceptional cases. The Departments and the Fed- largely proportional basis. As The Federal Council generally eral Chancellery prepare the a result, the collegial principle meets for one ordinary session agenda, but it is the Federal also serves the function today of each week and takes decisions on Council that takes the decisions enabling compromise solutions some 2000 to 2500 matters each as a collegial body. Each member to be found on which majority year. In addition to the extraordi- of the Federal Council has one agreement is possible. 37 Organisation of the Federal Administration Federal Department Federal Chancellery Federal Department Federal Department of Justice and Police FCh of Foreign Affairs of Home Affairs FDFA FDHA FDJP General Secretariat General Secretariat General Secretariat Federal Council Sector Vice-Chancellor Casanova Federal Office of Justice State Secretariat Federal Office for Planning and Strategy Sector Gender Equality FOGE FOJ Directorate of Political Affairs Federal Office of Culture Federal Office of Police Information and Communications FOC Fedpol Sector Vice-Chancellor Sigg Swiss National Library Swiss Diplomatic and Federal Office for Migration Internal Services Sector NL Consular Missions abroad FOM Swiss Federal Archives Office of the Attorney General Federal Data Protection and Directorate of Corporate SFA of Switzerland OAG Information Commissioner Management Federal Office of Metrology Federal Data Directorate of Federal Office of Meteorology and MeteoSwiss METAS Protection Commission International Law Climatology Swiss Federal Institute of Swiss Agency for Development Federal Office of Public Health Intellectual Property IIP and Cooperation SDC FOPH Swiss Institute of Comparative Federal Statistical Office Law SICL FSO Federal Social Insurance Office Federal Gaming Board FGB FSIO State Secretariat for Education and Research SER Federal Institutes of Technology Group FIT Group Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products Swissmedic 38 Federal Department of the Federal Department Federal Department Federal Department Environment, Transport, Energy of Defence, Civil Protection of Finance of Economic Affairs and Communications DETEC and Sport DDPS FDF FDEA General Secretariat General Secretariat General Secretariat General Secretariat Federal Office of Transport Armed Forces Attorney State Secretariat for Economic Federal Finance Administration FOT General AFAG FFA Affairs SECO Federal Office of Civil Aviation Federal Office of Federal Office for Professional DDPS Damage Centre FOCA Personnel FOPER Education and Technology OPET FTA Federal Office for Agriculture Swiss Federal Office of Energy Staff of the Federal Council Federal Tax Administration Security Committee SecCom Staff FOAG SFOE Federal Roads Office Federal Veterinary Office Strategic Intelligence Service Federal Customs Administration FEDRO SIS FCA FVO Federal Office of Information Federal Office for National Federal Office of Communications Directorate for Security Policy Technology, Systems and Economic Supply FONES OFCOM DSP Telecommunication FOITT Federal Office for Housing FOH Federal Office for the Defence Federal Office for Buildings and Environment FOEN Logistics FOBL Federal Office of Private Office of the Price Supervisor Federal Office for Spatial Federal Office for Civil Development ARE Protection FOCP Insurance FOPI Competition Commission Federal Office of Sport Swiss Federal Banking ComCo FOSPO Commission SFBC Armasuisse Swiss Federal Audit Office SFAO Swiss Alcohol Board SAB Federal Pension Fund PUBLICA 39 The Federal Chancellery 2007 is a particularly important and decisions taken by the Fede- parliament debates in the course Planning and Strategy Sector year for the Federal Chancellery: ral Council. of its legislative work, and appli- on the one hand due to the cable law by which citizens and National Council elections on 21 Federal Council Sector the authorities are required to The next legislative period October, on the other because of Vice-Chancellor Casanova act and on which the courts base begins in the autumn of 2007, the legislative planning for the their decisions. For jurists and and the Planning and Strategy next four years. In both cases, The Federal Council begins its for many private individuals Section prepares together with the Federal Chancellery plays a weekly session at 9 am every these are indispensable as is evi- the departments, the dispatch on leading role as staff office of the Wednesday in the west wing of dent from the some 500,000 on- legislative planning which con- Federal Council. As is also the the Federal Palace. In the week line queries made each day.