Unwritten and written laws You want to join the Federal Council? Here's what you need to bring with you
If you want to become a Federal Councillor, you have to comply with a number of unwritten and written laws. This is how the process works.
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- Election to the Swiss Federal Council is a complex process.
- It is carried out by the Federal Assembly in several rounds of voting.
- Unwritten rules such as the "magic formula" and a balanced representation of language regions and genders play an important role.
- These things should be followed by future Federal Councillors:
How does one actually become a Federal Councillor? A simple question, but the answer is not so simple. You can plan a career as a Federal Councillor, but there is no guarantee of success.
Nevertheless, there are a few things that future Federal Councillors should follow:
In principle, any Swiss citizen over the age of 18 who is entitled to vote can become a Federal Councillor. A previous political career is not legally required - in practice, however, the classic ox touris a great advantage.
The election is carried out by the Federal Assembly. In other words, by the 200 members of the National Council and the 46 members of the Council of States.
Three rounds of voting
The election process begins with the nomination of candidates - usually by the political parties. The Federal Councillor is elected by parliamentarians in several rounds of voting. All eligible candidates may be elected in the first two ballots, but no new candidates may stand from the third ballot onwards. Only those who have received votes in the first two ballots can still be elected.
If no one receives more than half of the valid votes, the person with the fewest votes is eliminated before the next ballot. This is repeated until one person receives more than half of the valid votes and is therefore elected.
The magic formula
Various unwritten rules play an important role in the election of the Federal Council, but these are not laid down in law. The best known is the so-called magic formula. This states that the three strongest parties in Switzerland are each entitled to two seats in the Federal Council and the fourth strongest party is entitled to one seat. Smaller parties do not have a seat in the Federal Council. However, the magic formula is not an official rule and is therefore not mandatory.
In addition, the composition of the Federal Council ensures that the various parts of the country and language regions are represented in a balanced way. This is to ensure that Switzerland's cultural and linguistic diversity is also represented in its executive.
In recent years, the issue of gender has also become increasingly important, i.e. an appropriate distribution of women and men in the Federal Council.
For potential candidates, the path to the Federal Council is often the result of a long political career, the so-called ox tour. Many successful candidates have previously gained experience at communal and cantonal level before moving into federal politics. Working in the National Council or Council of States offers the opportunity to make a name for yourself at national level and expand your network.
In the run-up to a Federal Council election, it is crucial for candidates not only to win the support of their own party, but also to convince parliamentarians from other parties.
Taking office within two months
Once you have finally become a Federal Councillor, you must take office within two months. By accepting the election, those elected undertake to resign from other offices or functions in the service of the Confederation or a canton.
This rule is intended to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure that Federal Councillors can devote themselves fully to their duties.
The Federal Councillor is elected for a term of four years. People often remain on the Federal Council for longer than four years, which means they have to be re-elected for a further term of office. Federal Councillors can resign at any time - as was recently the case with Defense Minister Viola Amherd.