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Switzerland is a federal and democratic state with three institutional levels:
the Confederation, the cantons and the municipalities. The Confederation has
three powers or branches: the Executive Branch (the Federal Council, composed of
seven members elected for a four-year term); the Legislative Branch (the Federal
Assembly, comprising two chambers each possessing the same rights: the Council
of States with 46 deputies representing the cantons, and the National Council
with 200 deputies representing the people, elected for a four-year term); and
the Judicial Branch (the Federal Supreme Court). There are 26 cantons, which
have the status of federal states. The municipalities constitute the lowest
level of political organisation in Switzerland.
The Federal Constitution confers sovereignty – i.e. supreme political power
– on the people, who elect the Parliament. This in turn elects the Government
(the Federal Council), which appoints the members of the Federal Supreme Court.
The four main political parties (all represented in the government) are: the
Swiss People’s Party or Democratic Union of the Centre (SVP/UDC), the Radical
Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD), the Socialist Party (SP/PS) and the Christian
Democratic People’s Party (CVP/PDC).
Judicial power in Switzerland is exercised principally on two levels, Federal
(the Federal Supreme Court) and cantonal (the cantonal courts). Owing to
Switzerland’s federal structure, the judicial authorities are organised
differently in each canton, and procedures in individual legal spheres also
differ according to the relevant canton. See the Related Topics and links
opposite for more information and for the addresses of all Swiss courts.
Text last edited on: 04/2008
Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2008
Reproduction is authorised.
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