The National Council

10 January 2023

Definition

The National Council, also known as the Nationalrat (Volkskammer, Erste Kammer, Grosse Kammer), represents the people in the parliamentary system.

It has powers identical to those of the Council of States (discussed in the previous contribution). The 200 seats are distributed in proportion to the votes obtained in elections held every four years.

Seats

The twenty-six cantons are the constituencies. The number of their inhabitants is decisive for the number of their seats. The smallest cantons have one seat (Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Uri, Glarus, Obwalden, and Nidwalden), while the largest cantons have thirty-five (Zürich), twenty-four (Bern), and nineteen (Vaud). The remaining cantons have between two (Jura) and sixteen (Aargau) seats.

Citizens vote for political parties, which then form alliances in parliament. A previous article discussed the relationship with the government or Federal Council (Bundesrat, Conseil fédéral).

Powers

This contribution focuses, in particular, on the political powers of the National Council (and thus the Council of States).

The National Council has several possibilities within the legislative and supervisory processes:

the parliamentary initiative, parlamentarische Initiatieve (initiating a law),

the motion, Motion (forcing the government to draft a law),

the postulate, Postulat (asking the government to examine whether a new law should be drafted or measures taken),

Interpellation and questions, einfache Anfrage (requesting information about documents or (international and European) developments and issues.

These instruments are often applied (e.g., parliamentary initiative, motion) or less frequently (e.g., question, postulate). However, they always play a role in the communication, information, and prioritisation between the National Council and the government.

Depending on current affairs (and approaching elections), one political party tends to use the question more, while the other uses the motion or parliamentary initiative.

In addition, the Parliament (and the Council of States) exercises financial control in two commissions and exceptional (severe) cases by the Enquete Commission of the Parliament, i.e. PUK (Parliamentarische Untersuchungs Kommission).

Functioning

The National Council (and the Council of States) must always remain in close and direct contact with the cantons, (social and economic) interest groups, and the citizens.

The National Council occupies a very independent and strong position vis-à-vis the government, as the government cannot dissolve the Council.

The annual election of a prime minister/primus (a) inter pares by both chambers in a joint session also prevents political opportunism and concentration of power.

The representation of the people and democracy live up to their names.