National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss
Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Constitution: 29 May 1874
Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Kaspar VILLIGER (1995
calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President
Jean-Pascal DELAMURAZ (term runs concurrently with that of president)
cabinet: Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French - Censeil
Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale); elected by the Federal
Assembly from own members
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German -
Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee Federale, Italian - Assemblea
Federale)
Council of States: German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats,
Italian - Consiglio degli Stati; elections last held throughout 1991
(next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3, LdU 1, Ticino
League 1
National Council: German - Nationalrat, French - Conseil National,
Italian - Consiglio Nazionale; elections last held 20 October 1991
(next to be held NA October 1995); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS
10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other 2
Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Free Democratic Party (FDP), Franz STEINEGGER, president; Social Democratic Party (SPS), Peter BODENMANN, president; Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Anton COTTIER, president; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans UHLMANN, president; Green Party (GPS), Verena DIENER, president; Freedom Party (FPS), Roland BORER, president; Liberal Party (LPS), Christoph EYMANN, president; Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Monica WEBER, president; Ticino League, Giuliano BIGNASCA, president; and other minor parties including the Automobile Party (AP), Swiss Democratic Party (SD), Workers' Party (PdA), and the Evangelical People's Party (EVP); note - see elections
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE,
CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN (observer),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPROFOR, UNTSO,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carlo JAGMETTI chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco