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2014 Swiss Immigration Initiative
In Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ..., the federal popular initiative "against mass immigration" (, , ) was a referendum that aimed to limit immigration through quotas, as it had been prior to the Switzerland–European Union relations, bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) launched in 2002. The federal popular initiative, popular initiative was launched by the National conservatism, national conservative Swiss People's Party and was accepted by a majority of the electorate (50.3%, a difference of 19,526 votes) and a majority of the Cantons of Switzerland, cantons (14.5 out of 23; 12 of 20 full cantons plus five of six half cantons) on 9 February 2014. This initiative was mostly backed by rural parts (57.6% approvals) of S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cantons Of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the Federated state, member states of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the . Two important periods in the development of the Old Swiss Confederacy are summarized by the terms ('Eight Cantons'; from 1353 to 1481) and ('Thirteen Cantons', from 1513 to 1798).rendered "the 'confederacy of eight'" and "the 'Thirteen-Canton Confederation'", respectively, in: Each canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy, formerly also ('lieu/locality', from before 1450), or ('estate', from ), was a fully sovereignty, sovereign state with its own border controls, army, and currency from at least the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848, with a brief period of centralised government during the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803). The term has been widely used since the 19th century. "" The number of canton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informally known as "commissioners") corresponding to two thirds of the number of Member state of the European Union, member states, unless the European Council, acting unanimously, decides to alter this number. The current number of commissioners is 27, including the president. It includes an administrative body of about 32,000 European civil servants. The commission is divided into departments known as Directorate-General, Directorates-General (DGs) that can be likened to departments or Ministry (government department), ministries each headed by a director-general who is responsible to a commissioner. Currently, there is one member per European Union member state, member state, but members are bound by their oath of office to represent the genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1992 Swiss Referendums
Fifteen referendums were held in Switzerland during 1992.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', pp1933–1945 The first two were held on 16 February on popular initiatives "for a financially bearable health insurance" and "for the drastic and stepwise limitation of animal experiments." Both were rejected by voters. The next seven were held on 17 May on joining and contributing to the Bretton Woods system (both approved), a federal law on water protection (approved), a popular initiative "for the recovery of our waters" (rejected), a federal resolution on the popular initiative "against the malpractice of gene technology on humans" (approved), a federal resolution on creating a civilian service alternative to military service (approved) and a change to the Strafgesetzbuch and the Military and Penal Codes on sexual integrity (approved). A third set of six referendums was held on 27 September on a federal resolution on building a transalpin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blank Votes
A protest vote (also called a blank, null, spoiled, or "none of the above" vote) is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of candidates or the current political system. Protest voting takes a variety of forms and reflects numerous voter motivations, including political apathy. Where voting is compulsory, casting a blank vote is available for those who do not wish to choose a candidate, or to protest. Unlike abstention elsewhere, blank votes are counted. Along with abstention, or not voting, protest voting is a sign of unhappiness with available options. If protest vote takes the form of a blank vote, it may or may not be tallied into final results. Protest votes may be considered spoiled or, depending on the electoral system, counted as "none of the above" votes. Types of protest vote Protest votes can take many different forms: * Blank ballots * Null ballots * Spoiled ballots * None of the above votes * Votes for a fringe candidate or par ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Chancellery Of Switzerland
The Federal Chancellery of Switzerland is a department-level agency of the federal administration of Switzerland. It is the staff organisation of the federal government, the Federal Council (Switzerland), Federal Council. Since 2024, it has been headed by Federal Chancellor of Switzerland, Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi of the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland. History The Federal Chancellery was established by the 1803 Act of Mediation, before that, the Recess (motion), recess notes were held by the cantonal chancellery of the canton that was hosting the tagsatzung. Until the establishment of the federal state in 1848, the chancellery was one of the few permanent offices of the Swiss Confederation. During the first years, the Federal Chancellor was tasked with managing the protocol and the agenda of the tagsatzung, writing and printing the recess notes, the correspondence with the cantons and foreign nations, and maintaining the Federal archives. After 1848, the Chancelle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Assembly (Switzerland)
The Federal Assembly, also known as the Swiss Parliament, is the federal bicameral parliament of Switzerland. It comprises the 200-seat National Council and the 46-seat Council of States. It meets in Bern in the Federal Palace. The houses have identical powers. Members of both houses represent the cantons, but, whereas seats in the National Council are distributed in proportion to population, each canton has two seats in the Council of States, except the six ' half-cantons', which have one seat each. Both are elected in full once every four years, with the last election being held in 2023. The Federal Assembly possesses the federal government's legislative power, along with the separate constitutional right of citizen's initiative. For a law to pass, it must be passed by both houses. The two houses may come together as a United Federal Assembly in certain circumstances, such as to elect the Federal Council (the head of government and state), the Federal Chancellor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Council (Switzerland)
The Federal Council is the federal Cabinet (government), cabinet of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and Head of government, government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand coalition government composed of representatives of the List of political parties in Switzerland, country's major parties and Languages of Switzerland, language regions. While the entire Federal Council is responsible for leading the federal administration of Switzerland, each Councillor heads one of the seven federal executive departments. The president of the Swiss Confederation chairs the council, but exercises no particular authority; rather, the position is one of a Primus inter pares, first among equals and rotates among the seven Councillors annually. The Swiss Federal Council election, Federal Council is elected as a body by the 246 members of the Federal Assembly (Switzerland), Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swiss Federal Constitution
The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (SR 10; (BV); (Cst.); (Cost.); ) of 18 April 1999 (SR 101) is the third and current federal constitution of Switzerland. It establishes the Swiss Confederation as a federal republic of 26 cantons (states). The document contains a catalogue of individual and popular rights (including the right to call for popular referendums on federal laws and constitutional amendments), delineates the responsibilities of the cantons and the Confederation and establishes the federal authorities of government. The Constitution was adopted by a referendum on 18 April 1999, in which a majority of the people and the cantons voted in favour. It replaced the prior federal constitution of 1874, which it was intended to bring up to date without changing its substance. History Prior to 1798, the Swiss Confederacy was a confederation of independent states, not a federal state; as such it was based on treaties rather than a constitution. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2010 Swiss Referendums
Six referendums were held in Switzerland during 2010; three in March on pension funds, animal protection and a constitutional amendment, one in September on unemployment benefits, and two in November on deporting foreign criminals and introducing a canton tax. Results March Voters approved Provision 1, an amendment to the constitution on research on humans. Voters rejected Provision 2, a federal decree on providing enhanced legal protection for animals. Voters also rejected Provision 3, a federal law which would change the minimum conversion rate for occupational and disability pension plans.Election Profile IFES September The referendum held on 26 September had a single topic, namely the revision of |
Minaret Controversy In Switzerland
The federal popular initiative "against the construction of minarets" was a successful popular initiative in Switzerland to prevent the construction of minarets on mosques. In a November 2009 referendum, a constitutional amendment banning the construction of new minarets was approved by 57.5% of the participating voters. Only three of the twenty Swiss cantons and one half canton, mostly in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, opposed the initiative. This referendum originates from action on 1 May 2007, when a group of right of centre politicians, mainly from the Swiss People's Party and the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland, the ''Egerkinger Komittee'' ("Egerkingen Committee") launched a federal popular initiative that sought a constitutional ban on minarets. The minaret at the mosque of the local Turkish cultural association in Wangen bei Olten was the initial motivation for the initiative. The Swiss government recommended that the proposed amendment be rejected as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the ten member states of the then European Economic Community. It proposed measures intended to gradually abolish border checks at the signatories' common borders, including reduced-speed vehicle checks which allowed vehicles to cross borders without stopping, allowing residents in border areas freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints, and the harmonisation of visa policies.Respectively Articles 2, 6 and 7 of thSchengen Agreement EUR-Lex; accessed 27 January 2016. In 1990, the Agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention which proposed the complete abolition of systematic internal border controls and a common visa policy. The Schengen Area operates very much like a single state for international travel purposes with extern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2009 Swiss Referendums
Eight referendums were held in Switzerland during 2009. The first was held on 8 February on extending the freedom of movement for workers from Bulgaria and Romania. The next two were held on 17 May 2009 on introducing biometric passports and the "Future with complementary medicine" proposal. A further two were held on 27 September on increasing VAT and the introduction of public initiatives. The final three were held on 29 November on banning the construction of new minarets, exporting weapons and the use of aviation fuel taxation. February referendum The February referendum was held on extending the freedom of movement for workers within the European Union to Bulgaria and Romania, who joined the EU on 1 January 2007, and on removing the sunset provision from the agreement. If Swiss voters had rejected the continuation and extension, the EU would likely have invoked the so-called " guillotine clause" to terminate all agreements made as part of the bilateral treaties. A poll from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
