Box 1.5 Direct democracy

Switzerland is one of the few Western European democracies to leave the election of its government to parliament. On the other hand Swiss voters are provided with two important instruments of direct democracy: the initiative and the referendum allow them to influence parliamentary decisions.

The Popular Initiative: The initiative is a formal proposition which demands a constitutional amendment. It must be submitted to the vote of the people and cantons if the proposition is signed by at least 100,000 citizens within 18 months. Before the vote, the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly give non-binding advice on whether the proposal should be accepted or rejected and occasionally formulate a counterproposal.

The Referendum is a constitutional right to force the federal authorities to submit a major legislation or an important treaty for popular approval. For the different types of referenda see Chapter 3.