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Read more: Behind the scenes: how impactful is Switzerland's support for political prisoners? See all geopolitics stories Podcasts [swi-fallback-featured-image] Inside Geneva Read more: Inside Geneva See all podcasts Newsletter Teaser vote Swiss popular votes - everything you need to know Read more: Swiss popular votes - everything you need to know See all newsletters Democracy * Swiss democracy * Information wars * Digital democracy * Global elections Top stories Patrick Chappatte Patrick Chappatte: 'The path for satire has been getting narrower' Read more: Patrick Chappatte: 'The path for satire has been getting narrower' mountains Inheritance tax referendum spooks Swiss super-rich Read more: Inheritance tax referendum spooks Swiss super-rich Sarah Wyss, Chair of the Finance Committee, in parliament on June 5. Swiss parliamentary session sets stage for noisy national debates Read more: Swiss parliamentary session sets stage for noisy national debates See all democracy stories Swiss democracy vote How Swiss direct democracy works Read more: How Swiss direct democracy works Newsletter Newsletter democracy Our democracy newsletter Read more: Our democracy newsletter See all newsletters Climate solutions * Glaciers & permafrost * CO2 reduction * Climate adaptation Research frontiers * Swiss AI * Space research Top stories Teesta floods Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants Read more: Saving lives in the shadow of melting giants Solar panels on the Muttsee dam in the Glarus Alps, August 2021. Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland Read more: Five unusual places to install solar panels in Switzerland A view on June 6 of the millions of tonnes of rock, ice and other debris that engulfed the mountain village of Blatten in the Lotschental valley after a local glacier collapsed on May 28. The devastating glacier collapse in Blatten: what next? Read more: The devastating glacier collapse in Blatten: what next? See all science stories Podcasts Illustration featuring a robotic hand and a human hand reaching towards each other, with a glowing orb at the center surrounded by Swiss cross symbols. The text 'The Swiss Connection' appears at the bottom, with the logo and website name 'SWI swissinfo.ch' at the top The Swiss Connection Podcast: Hear Swiss science stories for the world Read more: The Swiss Connection Podcast: Hear Swiss science stories for the world See all podcasts Newsletter Newsletter Science newsletter Switzerland Our science newsletter Read more: Our science newsletter See all newsletters Aging society * Assisted suicide Culture * Swiss cinema * Swiss fine arts Future of Work * AI & Work Demographics History Top stories Patrick Chappatte Patrick Chappatte: 'The path for satire has been getting narrower' Read more: Patrick Chappatte: 'The path for satire has been getting narrower' Property in Switzerland is expensive - and the debt burden is also high. Mortgages in Switzerland: how the system works Read more: Mortgages in Switzerland: how the system works Elinor Ostrom receives the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden The Swiss mountain village that inspired a Nobel Prize and digital governance Read more: The Swiss mountain village that inspired a Nobel Prize and digital governance Zurich Is Switzerland repeating England's housing mistakes? Read more: Is Switzerland repeating England's housing mistakes? See all Swiss identity stories Debate debate logo To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives? Read more: To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives? 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Elinor Ostrom receives the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden The Swiss mountain village that inspired a Nobel Prize and digital governance Read more: The Swiss mountain village that inspired a Nobel Prize and digital governance chocolates Child labour risks in chocolate supply chains go beyond just cocoa Read more: Child labour risks in chocolate supply chains go beyond just cocoa A man checks an oscillating surgical saw blade at one of the leading manufacturers of medical devices for bone surgery, Gomina, in canton Valais. Syringes, scanners and implants: How US tariffs could affect medical device manufacturers Read more: Syringes, scanners and implants: How US tariffs could affect medical device manufacturers See all economy stories Podcasts Podcast artwork for 'Lost Cells' showing stem cells under a microscope Lost Cells Read more: Lost Cells See all podcasts Newsletter Newsletter Business Business stories by SWI swissinfo.ch Read more: Business stories by SWI swissinfo.ch See all newsletters Swiss Abroad * Swiss abroad community * Swiss politics * Moving abroad * Swiss oddities Top stories Camille Kundig How to vote from abroad as a Swiss citizen Read more: How to vote from abroad as a Swiss citizen Sarah Wyss, Chair of the Finance Committee, in parliament on June 5. Swiss parliamentary session sets stage for noisy national debates Read more: Swiss parliamentary session sets stage for noisy national debates Isabella Kocum in the new Framing Studio at the National Gallery in London. With Isabella Kocum, all that glitters really is gold Read more: With Isabella Kocum, all that glitters really is gold See all Swiss abroad stories Stay in touch with Switzerland SWIplus Stay in touch with Switzerland The SWIplus app: your connection to Switzerland Read more: The SWIplus app: your connection to Switzerland Swiss democracy How Swiss direct democracy works Many nations admire Switzerland's system of direct democracy. But what do direct democratic tools like popular initiatives and referendums really entail? And how has this unique system evolved over time? This content was published on March 31, 2025 - 09:00 6 minutes Vera Leysinger , Benjamin von Wyl , Pauline Turuban Other languages: 9 * Deutsch de Wie funktioniert das System der direkten Demokratie in der Schweiz? Original Read more: Wie funktioniert das System der direkten Demokratie in der Schweiz? * Francais fr Comment le systeme de democratie directe fonctionne en Suisse Read more: Comment le systeme de democratie directe fonctionne en Suisse * Italiano it Come funziona la democrazia diretta in Svizzera? Read more: Come funziona la democrazia diretta in Svizzera? * Espanol es Como funciona la democracia directa en Suiza Read more: Como funciona la democracia directa en Suiza * Portugues pt Como funciona a democracia direta na Suica? Read more: Como funciona a democracia direta na Suica? * Ri Ben Yu ja [Zheng Zhi Jia niRen setsukiri] nishinai suisunoZhi Jie Min Zhu Zhu Yi Read more: [Zheng Zhi Jia niRen setsukiri] nishinai suisunoZhi Jie Min Zhu Zhu Yi * l`rby@ ar mn lfkr@ l~ lqtr`: kyf yD` lsh`b lswysry qwnynh? Read more: mn lfkr@ l~ lqtr`: kyf yD` lsh`b lswysry qwnynh? * Zhong Wen zh Xi Shuo Rui Shi De Quan Min Gong Tou Read more: Xi Shuo Rui Shi De Quan Min Gong Tou * Russkii ru A kak, kstati, ustroena shveitsarskaia priamaia demokratiia? Read more: A kak, kstati, ustroena shveitsarskaia priamaia demokratiia? No other country in the world holds as many popular initiatives as Switzerland. The first votes took place more than 100 years ago, and to this day Swiss citizens are regularly called to the ballot box to decide on local, regional and national issues. Switzerland's representative democratic system comes with direct democratic tools, some of which have actually reshaped the system itself. In 1891, for example, the introduction of the popular vote gained a majority, while in 1918, a popular initiative altered Switzerland's electoral system by establishing proportional representation in most cantons. This means that if a political party receives 30% of the votes in a canton with ten seats in the House of Representatives, it is entitled to three of those ten seats. More Campaign poster from 1918 in favour of the transition to a PR system More The road to proportional representation in Switzerland This content was published on Oct 10, 2018 Here's how, in 1918, Switzerland made the historic decision to move to a proportional representation system at national level. Read more: The road to proportional representation in Switzerland Another fascinating chapter in Switzerland's direct democratic history is that, as late as 1959, a significant majority of men voted against granting women the right to vote. Women in Switzerland only gained the right to vote in federal elections in 1971. However, it wasn't until 1991 that Appenzell Inner Rhodes, the last canton to do so, introduced women's suffrage by order of the Federal Court. [fe96fde6124c9a3d3d66d92cb68de5a0-67_frauenstimmrecht-data] More The long road to women's suffrage in Switzerland Swiss women had to wait until 1971 until they got the right to vote. Why did it take so long? Read more: The long road to women's suffrage in Switzerland What are Switzerland's direct democratic tools? Switzerland has various types of votes with the popular initiative being the most well-known. The popular initiative or people's initiative gives Swiss citizens the opportunity to propose changes to the Constitution. They can initiate a vote by collecting and verifying at least 100,000 signatures from eligible voters within 18 months. External Content But most popular initiatives launched throughout Swiss history have not been able to win support at both the federal and cantonal levels. This does not mean that these popular initiatives lack impact. In fact, they are an effective tool for bringing issues to the forefront of the political agenda. Both government and parliament can react to an initiative with a counter-proposal. More Campaigner with a balloon in 1989 More When Switzerland clipped its army's wings This content was published on Nov 26, 2019 Thirty years ago the Swiss voted on whether to abolish the army. Although the initiative failed, a surprisingly strong vote in favour led to reforms. Read more: When Switzerland clipped its army's wings Another form of voting is the mandatory referendum which must be held if the government and parliament seek to amend the constitution or join international organisations such as the European Union or NATO. The optional referendum, on the other hand, can be initiated by a citizens' committee opposing a law adopted by the government and parliament. Citizens can challenge this law by collecting at least 50,000 valid signatures within 100 days to launch a referendum. Citizens tend to vote according to the government's recommendation Throughout Swiss history, the majority of voters have often aligned with the government's and parliament's recommendations, even in referendums. The optional referendum is the most commonly used tool of direct democracy to overturn decisions made by the government and parliament. External Content What are counter-proposals? Before a popular initiative reaches the ballot box, it is reviewed by parliament. Both chambers - the House of Representatives and the Senate - debate the proposal and decide whether to accept or reject it or offer a counter-proposal. Counter-proposals come in two forms: A direct counter-proposal means that parliament gives the voters an additional choice when deciding on a popular initiative. Citizens can either accept the counter-proposal, accept the initiative, or reject both. External Content An indirect counter-proposal is a legislative proposal passed by parliament. If the initiative committee agrees with the counter-proposal, the initiative will be withdrawn. If it does not agree, the vote will proceed. If the initiative is rejected at the ballot box, the indirect counter-proposal will be adopted. Cantonal majority Popular initiatives and mandatory referendums not only need a majority of votes but also a majority of cantons. This system gives small cantons with fewer people greater influence. However, it is rare for a popular initiative to win the majority of votes but not get the majority of cantons. The last time this happened was in 2020 when the "Responsible Business Initiative" did not win the cantonal majority. The only other time this occurred was in 1955. External Content When it comes to referendums, the cantonal majority plays a more decisive role. In 2013, for example, a mandatory referendum aiming to harmonise family policies across Switzerland was not accepted despite winning 54.3% of the popular vote because it did not gain the support of a majority of cantons. Maternity leave, on the other hand, was introduced in 2004 despite opposition from a majority of cantons. Since it was an optional referendum on a legal amendment, a cantonal majority was not required. Shifting patterns in the use of direct democratic rights In the early decades after the Swiss federal state was established in 1848, the mandatory referendum was the primary tool of direct democracy. Eligible male voters used it to vent their discontent, however, most referendums resulted in a majority of "no" votes. More Five adults greet a small child More The strengths of a 'weak' Swiss government This content was published on May 5, 2023 Hardly any government is as trusted among the population as the Swiss Federal Council. Why is that? Read more: The strengths of a 'weak' Swiss government This slowly changed after the optional referendum was introduced in 1874. It pushed the government and parliament to seek compromises as the ruling majority sought to prevent discontent citizens from launching a referendum. According to the Historical Dictionary of SwitzerlandExternal link, the proportion of optional referendums were around 6% of legislative proposals throughout the 20^th century. External Content The popular initiative, introduced in 1891, took some time to gain traction. From 1891 to 1930, only 25 popular initiatives were launched. However, since the 1970s, more than 40 have been held in each decade. Between 1891 and 2024 only 26 popular initiatives were accepted, 14 of which took place in the 21^st century. Edited Mark Livingston. Adapted from German by Billi Bierling/ac More Newsletter democracy More Our democracy newsletter If you are a fan of democracy, then you've come to the right place. We report on the latest democratic developments, debates and challenges. Read more: Our democracy newsletter Popular Stories Property in Switzerland is expensive - and the debt burden is also high. More Demographics Mortgages in Switzerland: how the system works Read more: Mortgages in Switzerland: how the system works Zurich More Aging society Is Switzerland repeating England's housing mistakes? Read more: Is Switzerland repeating England's housing mistakes? Cats climbing the cat ladders erected on the facade of a house in Bern More Swiss oddities What a love of cat ladders says about the Swiss Read more: What a love of cat ladders says about the Swiss Switzerland leapfrpogs Singapore and Hong Kong in the new ranking More Switzerland regains crown as world's most competitive nation Read more: Switzerland regains crown as world's most competitive nation The terms of the new agreement gives the US Securities and Exchange Commission direct access to client information from Swiss firms. More Foreign Affairs US and Switzerland end stalemate over client information Read more: US and Switzerland end stalemate over client information Most Discussed Next Previous More Debate [thomas-stephens-profileImage-42390611] Hosted by: Thomas Stephens Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva? Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not? Join the discussion Jun 13, 2025 9 Likes 6 Comments View the discussion More Debate [marc-leutenegger-profileImage-46253681] Hosted by: Marc Leutenegger What are your experiences with housing shortages and rising property prices? Switzerland is steering towards a housing crisis. Are there solutions? Join the discussion Apr 25, 2025 47 Likes 57 Comments View the discussion More Debate [dorian-burkhalter-profileImage-46931747] Hosted by: Dorian Burkhalter Is there a future for the humanitarian sector? What should it look like? With key donors cutting aid budgets, the humanitarian sector faces a crisis. What strategies can organisations adopt to navigate this challenge? Join the discussion May 14, 2025 18 Likes 15 Comments View the discussion More Debates Articles in this story * The road to proportional representation in Switzerland * The long road to women's suffrage in Switzerland * When Switzerland clipped its army's wings * The strengths of a 'weak' Swiss government * Our democracy newsletter You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us! If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch. 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