Swiss politics and political institutions: 1. Society and History

1. Swiss politics and political institutions:1. Society and History Prof. Dr. Andreas Ladner iMPA 2011

2. Module 1: 5 Blocks • Society and History • Federalism and Municipalities • Government and Parliament • Direct Democracy • Political Parties • What about the citizens? • BADAC – Cantons (Dr. Christophe Koller)

3. The three pillars of the Swiss political system and the idea of power sharing Politics Direct Democracy Consensus Democracy Federalism Society

4. Political agenda • October 23, 2011: National Elections • December 14, 2011: Elections of the Federal Government • 12 - 30 September, 2011: National Parliament Autumn session, • 26 November - 14 December, 2011: National Parliament Winter session • November 27, 2011: ”Votation” Weekend

5. Upcoming political issues • What happens to the Swiss Franc? • Immigration and the Growth of the Swiss population – Free Movement of Persons Switzerland – EU/EFTA • Nuclear Power Plants • Banking secrecy – US, EU • ……

6. Sources

7. Block 1 • Society • History

8. Population: 7.8 mio. Languages: German, French and Italian Switzerland

9. What do people know about Switzerland? • Cheese, chocolate, watches and Nespresso? • Banks, insurances and pills? • Innovative policy solutions, political institutions and a special form of democracy?

10. Switzerland

11. Language 6.5 % 63.8 % 9.0 % 20.4 % 0.5 %

12. 26 cantons and 2551 municipalities

13. Cross-Cutting Cleavages!

14. Population increase

15. “The biggest sorrows of the Swiss“ (Sorgenbarometer Credit Suisse 2010) Unemployment Old age pensionscheme Health services Socialsecurity Foreigners Personal security EU/Bilaterales Asylumseekers New poverty ...

17. Non-swiss residents 1900 - 2007

18. Refugees, Asylum seekers Integration of foreigners, free movement of persons EU, bilateral agreements

19. Global Competitiveness

21. GDP (PPP) per capita The gross domestic product at purchasing power parity of countries per capita, shows the value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given year divided by the average (or mid-year) population for the same year. GDP dollar estimates are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations. Such calculations are prepared by various organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. As estimates and assumptions have to be made, the results produced by different organizations for the same country tend to differ, sometimes substantially. PPP figures are estimates rather than hard facts, and should be used with caution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita

24. The Swiss state Liberal state, minimal state or welfare state?

25. (Ratio of government expenditures to gross national product) http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/dokumentation/downloads/themen/oeff_haushalte/intv_staatsquote.pdf

26. Ratio of government expenditures to gross national product (Economiesuisse)

27. Economiesuisse: Finances publiques consolidées selon caractère obligatoire (dépenses)

30. Civil servants compared

31. Civil servants on the different state levels Ballendowitsch, Jens (2003). Sozialstruktur, soziale Sicherung und soziale Lage des öffentlichen Dienstes der Schweiz. Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung. Working papers Nr. 68.

32. Central government expenses 2009 (58 billion) International Affairs Agriculture and Food Social Security Education and Research Defense Finances and tax Others Transport http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/dokumentation/zahlen_fakten/finanzberichterstattung.php

33. Expenses central government (Confederation) 1960 (2.7 billions) Finances and tax Others Agriculture and Food International Affairs Defense Transport Social Security Education and Research Health Culture

34. Income central government (Confederation) Federal Direct Tax on income and wealth Value Added Tax http://www.efv.admin.ch/f/downloads/finanzberichterstattung/bufi/R_Bufi_2009_f.pdf

35. Content • Switzerland • History

36. http://www.swissworld.org/en/history/

38. The Old Swiss Confederacy (1291-1515) • Important trade route over the Gotthard • Interest and influence of Habsburg -> „Oath on Rütli“ to mutual help against anyone attempting to subject them • German king Friedrich II exempted the valleys of Uri (1231) and Schwyz (1240) from the jurisdiction of any counts and dukes so they would be subject to the king alone

40. The ancient political system in Switzerland Source: http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/swiss-revolution-helvetic-republic-1798.html

43. Catholics 1850 und 1990 (percentages)

45. Revolts against the Ancien Regime From 1650 to 1790, the various revolts against the rich families in the cities did not have any success: • The war of the peasants of the Emmental (subject territory of Berne) and Entlebuch (subject territory of Lucerne) against these cities in 1653 • The revolt of Wilchingen against Schaffhausen (1717 - 1729) • The revolt of Werdenberg against Glarus (1719 - 1722) • The revolt of major Abraham Davel in Lausanne (Vaud) against Berne (1723) • The revolt of the peasants of Jura against the prince-bishop of Basel (1726 - 1739) • The revolt of the Leventina (Ticino) against Uri (1755) • The revolt of Chenaux (Fribourg) against Fribourg (1781)

46. French Revolution (1789) TheStorming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789

48. The Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) On 5 March 1798, French troops completely overran Switzerland and the Old Swiss Confederation collapsed. On 12 April 1798 121 cantonal deputies proclaimed the Helvetic Republic, "One and Indivisible". The new régime abolished cantonal sovereignty and feudal rights. The occupying forces established a centralised state based on the ideas of the French Revolution.

49. 1803: „Act of Mediation“ = Restoration of the old Confederation of the 13 Cantons + 6 new Cantons (SG, GR, AG, TG, VD, TI) 1814: Genève, le Valais et Neuchâtel join the Confederation 1815: Congress of Vienna -> Swiss neutrality

50. The foundation of the modern national state (1848) • Tensions between the liberal Protestant and the Catholic cantons lead to the civil war in 1847 (the “Sonderbundskrieg”). • After a brief military campaign with federal troops, the Catholics, who had founded a separatist federation, surrender. • 1848 The modern Swiss federal state is founded in 1848. Its constitution centralises and harmonises numerous areas which were previously the responsibility of the cantons, such as military service, customs, and postal services and coinage. • This leads to the creation of a cohesive territory ripe for economic development.