The 1998 CIA World Factbook

by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or German-Bundesversammlung, French-Assemblee Federale, Italian-Assemblea Federale consists of the Council of States or German-Standerat, French-Conseil des Etats, Italian-Consiglio degli Stati (46 seats; members are elected two from each canton and one from each half canton to serve four-year terms) and the National Council or German - Nationalrat, French-Conseil National, Italian-Consiglio Nazionale (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: Council of States-last held throughout 1997 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council-last held 20 October 1995 (next to be held probably 24 October 1999) election results: Council of States-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - FDP 17, CVP 16, SVP 5, SPS 5, LPS 2, LdU 1; National Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-FDP 45, SPS 54, CVP 34, SVP 29, Greens 9, LPS 7, FPS 7, LdU 3, EVP 2, SD 3, PdAdS 3, Ticino League 1, EDU 1, FRAP 1, CSP 1

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court, judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero
or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse
or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica
de la Svizra or PSS) [Ursula KOCH, president]; Christian Democratic
People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP,
Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano
Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or
PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Swiss People's Party
(Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or
UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica da Center
or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der
Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito
Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda)
[Ruedi BAUMANN, president]; Freedom Party or FPS [Roland BORER];
Liberal Party (Liberale Partei der Schweiz or LPS, Parti Liberal
Suisse or PLS, Partito Liberale Svizzero or PLS) [Francois Jeanneset,
president]; Alliance of Independents' Party (Landesring der
Unabhaengigen or LdU, Alliance des Independants or AdI) [Daniel
ANDRES, president]; Ticino League (Lega dei Ticinesi) [Giuliano
BIGNASCA, president]; and other minor parties including Swiss
Democratic Party (Schweizer Demokraten or SD, Democrates Suisses or
DS, Democratici Svizzeri or DS), Workers' Party (Parti Suisse du
Travail or PST, Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz or PdAdS, Partito
Svizzero del Lavoro or PSdL), Evangelical People's Party (Evangelische
Volkspartei der Schweiz or EVP, Parti Evangelique Suisse or PEV,
Partito Evangelico Svizzero or PEV), and the Union of Federal
Democrats (Eidgenossisch-Demokratische Union or EDU, Union
Democratique Federale or UDF, Unione Democratica Federale or UDF);
note-see elections

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer),
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO,
G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNTSO,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred DEFAGO (since April 1997) 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, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Madeleine May KUNIN (since 8 August 1996) embassy: Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (31) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (31) 357 73 44

Flag description: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

@Switzerland:Economy

Economy-overview: Switzerland, a fundamentally prosperous and stable modern economy with a per capita GDP roughly 10% above that of the big West European economies, is experiencing continued economic difficulties. GDP growth was a minus 0.2% in 1996 and a weak plus 0.4% in 1997. Weak domestic consumer demand is partly at fault; stagnating real disposable income combines with a reluctance to reduce saving rates in the face of an uncertain employment outlook. Switzerland's leading sectors, including financial services, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and special-purpose machines, therefore are more reliant on export markets. Exports should lead an upturn in Swiss economic performance in 1998-99, provided the franc does not appreciate substantially as a result of Swiss monetary policy or instability in the run up to EMU.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$172.4 billion (1997 est.)