Direct democracy, neutrality and federalism are central components of the Swiss political system, which is considered very stable and balanced. No one party dominates in the two chambers of parliament, and the four largest parties are represented in the seven-member government.

Who can vote in Switzerland? Who can’t?

This content was published on Sep 17, 2019 Sep 17, 2019 Ahead of parliamentary elections on October 20, swissinfo.ch looks at the third of the Swiss resident population that is disenfranchised.

What do Swiss political parties stand for?

This content was published on Oct 18, 2019 Oct 18, 2019 Right, left, centre...that's how political parties are usually described. But where do they stand on the main themes dominating Swiss politics?

Swiss political system

This content was published on Jun 3, 2017 Jun 3, 2017 Switzerland was not always a nation-state but a loose alliance of autonomous cantons that came together under a federal constitution in 1848.

What’s the point of a parliament in a direct democracy?

This content was published on Dec 9, 2019 Dec 9, 2019 Under direct democracy, where the people have the last word on almost all issues, what does parliament do?

How many steps does it take to pass a Swiss law?

This content was published on Dec 2, 2019 Dec 2, 2019 Creating a law in the Swiss political system is a complex and often time-intensive matter that can take between 12 months and over ten years.

Armed neutrality

This content was published on Nov 29, 2016 Nov 29, 2016 Switzerland and neutrality are synonymous but that does not mean the Swiss have no military might.

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