Federal popular initiative

A popular initiative (German: Volksinitiative, French Initiative populaire, Italian Iniziativa popolare, Romansh Iniziativa dal pievel) allows the people to suggest law in Switzerland on a federal, cantonal and municipal level. On a federal and cantonal level it suggests changing the respective constitution. Besides referendum and, in some cantons, recall, it is a means of direct democracy in Switzerland.

The federal popular initiative (German: Eidgenössische Volksinitiative, French: Initiative populaire fédérale, Italian: Iniziativa popolare federale) is an instrument of direct democracy in Switzerland. It allows citizens to propose changes to the Swiss Federal Constitution. A votation will be organised for every modification that collected 100,000 valid signatures in 18 months.

The most frequent themes tackled by initiatives are: healthcare, taxes, welfare, drug policy, public transport, immigration, asylum, education... There are only two kinds of restrictions on the content:

It is different from the mandatory referendum in that the proposition to change the constitution comes from the population and not from the parliament. The authorities, even if they don't like it, cannot prevent an initiative which has collected enough signatures from being held, but they can make a counter proposal, known as counter-project.

A double majority of people and cantons is required to change the constitution.

Popular initiative exist at the federal, cantonal (cantons) and communal (town) levels.

Popular initiatives were introduced as a tool at the federal level in the Constitution of 1848. Between 1893 and 2014, out of a total of 192 federal initiatives put to the vote, 22 were successful. Another 73 were withdrawn, mostly in favour of a counter-proposal.

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