Switzerland - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Switzerland, it was name derives from the canton of Schwyz, one of the founding cantons of the Swiss Confederacy that formed in the late 13th century. The Government system in this country is the federal republic (formally a confederation) type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Berne/Bern, Fribourg/Freiburg, Geneve (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich
National symbols

Swiss cross (white cross on red field, arms equal length); national colors: red, white.

The flag
The National flag of Switzerland has red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339).
The National Anthem
Title the Swiss anthem has four names: "Schweizerpsalm" [German] "Cantique Suisse" [French] "Salmo svizzero," [Italian] "Psalm svizzer" [Romansch] (Swiss Psalm)
Lyric/music Leonhard WIDMER [German], Charles CHATELANAT [French], Camillo VALSANGIACOMO [Italian], and Flurin CAMATHIAS [Romansch]/Alberik ZWYSSIG
More about the government of Switzerland
Date of Independence 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)
National holiday Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291; note - since 1 August 1891 celebrated as Swiss National Day
Legal system civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character
International law organization participation accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Constitution
History Previous 1848, 1874; latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000
Amendments Proposed by the two houses of the Federal Assembly or by petition of at least one hundred thousand voters (called the "federal popular initiative"); passage of proposals requires majority vote in a referendum; following drafting of an amendment by the Assembly, its passage requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and approval by the majority of cantons; amended many times, last in 2018
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 of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
Head of government President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
Cabinet Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly for a 4-year term
Elections/appointments president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term; election last held on 13 December 2023 (next to be held in December 2024)
Election results 2023:  Viola AMHERD elected president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - Viola AMHERD (The Center) 158 of 204; Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP.The Liberals) elected vice president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - 138 of 196

2022:  Alain BERSET elected president for 2023; Federal Assembly vote - Alain BERSET (SP) 140 OF 181; Viola AMHERD elected vice president; Federal assembly vote - 207 of 223



 
Legislative branch
Description Bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblée Fédérale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of:
Council of States or Ständerat (in German), Conseil des États (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; members in two-seat constituencies representing cantons and single-seat constituencies representing half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote except Jura and Neuchatel cantons, which use list proportional representation vote; member term governed by cantonal law)
National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; 194 members in cantons directly elected by proportional representation vote and 6 in half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections Council of States - last held in most cantons on 22 October 2023 (each canton determines when the next election will be held)
National Council - last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held on 31 October 2027)
Election results Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - The Center 13, FDP.The Liberals 12, SP 9, SVP 6, Green Party 5, other 1; composition - men 30, women 16, percentage women 34.8%

National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 28.6%, SP 18%, The Center 14.6%, FDP.The Liberals 14.4%, Green Party 9.4%, GLP 7.2%, EDU 1.2, EDV/PEV 1.9%, MCR/MCG .5%, other 4%; seats by party - SVP 62, SP 41, The Center 29, FDP.The Liberals 28, Green Party 23, GLP 10, EDU 2, EDV/PEV 2, MCR/MCG 2, other 1; composition - men 123, women 77, percentage women 38.5%; note - total Federal Assembly percentage women 37.8%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s) Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)
Judge selection and term of office Judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; note - judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to the level of party representation in the Federal Assembly
Subordinate courts Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007); note - each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission Ambassador Jacques Henri PITTELOUD (since 16 September 2019)
Chancery 2900 Cathedral Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone [1] (202) 745-7900
FAX [1] (202) 387-2564
Email address and website
[email protected]

https://www.eda.admin.ch/washington
Consulate(s) general Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Consulate(s) Boston
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission Ambassador Scott C. MILLER (since 11 January 2022) note - also accredited to Liechtenstein
Embassy Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3007 Bern
Mailing address 5110 Bern Place, Washington DC  20521-5110
Telephone [41] (031) 357-70-11
FAX [41] (031) 357-73-20
Email address and website
https://ch.usembassy.gov/
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites 13 (9 cultural, 4 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales Old City of Berne (c); Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (n); Monte San Giorgio (n); Abbey of St Gall (c); Three Castles, Defensive Wall, and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona (c); Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes (c); La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair (c); Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (c)
Key Political parties and their leaders in Switzerland
  • The Center (Die Mitte, Alleanza del Centro, Le Centre, Allianza dal Center) [Gerhard PFISTER] (merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party and the Conservative Democratic Party)
  • Evangelical Peoples' Party or EVP/PEV [Lilian STUDER]
  • Federal Democrats or EDU [Daniel FRISCHKNECH]
  • Geneva Citizens Movement or MCR/MCG [Ana ROCH]
  • Green Liberal Party (Gruenliberale Partei or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL) [Jurg GROSSEN]
  • Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Balthasar GLATTLI]
  • The Liberals or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) [Thierry BURKART]
  • Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Cedric WERMUTH and Mattea MEYER]
  • Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Marcel DETTLING]
    • International organization participation
  • ADB (nonregional member)
  • AfDB (nonregional member)
  • Australia Group
  • BIS
  • CD
  • CE
  • CERN
  • EAPC
  • EBRD
  • EFTA
  • EITI (implementing country)
  • ESA
  • FAO
  • FATF
  • G-10
  • IADB
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (national committees)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IEA
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IGAD (partners)
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • IMSO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • LAIA (observer)
  • MIGA
  • MONUSCO
  • NEA
  • NSG
  • OAS (observer)
  • OECD
  • OIF
  • OPCW
  • OSCE
  • Pacific Alliance (observer)
  • Paris Club
  • PCA
  • PFP
  • Schengen Convention
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNITAR
  • UNMISS
  • UNMOGIP
  • UNOOSA
  • UNRWA
  • UNTSO
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • Wassenaar Arrangement
  • WCO
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO
  • ZC
    • All Important Facts about Switzerland

    Want to know more about Switzerland? Check all different factbooks for Switzerland below.

    Switzerland is found in Western Europe