Mi., Mai 17th 2023
Switzerland has long operated under a unique direct democracy system, but a group of Swiss voters say the system could even better reflect voters’ desires. Enter: The Swiss Freedom Movement.
Right now, Swiss voters elect their representatives to Parliament every four years. From that group, Parliament chooses seven members who hold the highest governing positions on the seven-member Federal Council. Members of the Federal Council take turns every year serving in the most powerful positions such as President, Defense Secretary, Finance Minister, Head of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of Public Health, and so on.
Under the ‘Swiss Freedom Movement,’ those Federal Council members would be subject to a public vote of confidence every two years, as well.
“If people are dissatisfied, they must be able to dismiss heads of ministries,” Swiss Freedom Movement president Richard Koller said this week during a press conference. He added that “the people are the boss.”
Swiss voters have become increasingly critical of Federal Council members in more recent years – with their criticism reaching a fever pitch during the Covid-19 pandemic when the federal government instated sweeping emergency legislation. Current Swiss President Alain Berset came under fire for claiming that the vaccine prevents the disease’s spread on a national TV program, when he had research suggesting it does not.
Read more: Will Switzerland extend emergency Covid restrictions?
The question of if Swiss ministers are fit enough for their jobs was raised again in recent months when the government stepped in and forced the shotgun merger of UBS and Credit Suisse. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has been subject to public criticism.
Read more: How the UBS-CS merger is tearing Switzerland apart
Under the Swiss Freedom Movement, Swiss voters would have the chance to voice their dislike of government decisions by putting the ministers who made them up for a public vote of confidence ever two years.
The Swiss Freedom Movement is currently collecting signatures from voters who support it. Should they collect at least 100,000 signatures it triggers a voter referendum on the next ballot. The group has until November 2024 to gather enough signatures.
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