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Legal provisions for optional referendums at national level

Switzerland

Switzerland

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Yes
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?The ordinary legislative referendum is very common in Switzerland (at the request of 50,000 voters)?it is suspensive, which increases its chances of success as voters are always more willing to oppose a legal instrument that is not in force than one they have seen applied.? (p. 10). European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission), ?Referendums in Europe ? An Analysis of the Legal Rules in European States,? 2005. Available at

http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/CDL-AD(2005)034.aspx.


FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF THE SWISSCONFEDERATION

(Adopted1999; last amended 2013)

http://?www.?admin.?ch/?ch/?e/?rs/?c101.?html

 

Art. 141 Optional referendum

(1) If within 100 days of the officialpublication of the enactment any 50,000 persons eligible to vote or any eightCantons request it, the following shall be submitted to a vote of the People:

  1. federal acts;
  2. emergency federal acts whose term of validity exceeds one year;
  3. federal decrees, provided the Constitution or an act so requires;
  4. international treaties that:

1.      are of unlimited duration and may not be terminated;

2.      provide for accession to an international organisation;

3.      contain important legislative provisions or whose implementation requiresthe enactment of federal legislation.

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