Government rejects idea of ‘Swiss Abroad constituency’
The Swiss government says it is opposed to separate constituencies for Swiss Abroad in parliamentary elections.
While it is important for Swiss citizens living abroad to be represented in parliament, this can be done by the current system of parliamentarians elected via the 26 cantons, the government said on Thursday.
In a statement in response to a motion by House of Representatives member Jean-Luc Addor (Swiss People’s Party), the government referred to the “Parliamentary Group of Swiss Abroad”. At the end of July 2023, 78 parliamentarians belonged to this group. The government asked parliament to reject Addor’s motion.
Swiss Abroad are also indirectly represented in national politics via the 140-member Council of the Swiss Abroad, which also includes Swiss members of parliament. This body brings the concerns of the Swiss abroad to the attention of the relevant authorities, the government wrote.
+ Read more: how the Swiss Abroad voted in 2023 elections
Addor calls for separate constituencies for the Swiss abroad, without specifying a number. A necessary legal basis is needed. Around 227,000 of the approximately 800,000 Swiss living abroad are on an electoral register. It is legitimate for them to have their own representation in the House of Representatives, Addor thinks.
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How the Swiss Abroad vote differently
Swiss citizens abroad are currently entered on the electoral register in the canton in which they last lived before leaving Switzerland. Those who have never lived in Switzerland are registered in the electoral register of their home commune.
According to the government, setting up a Swiss Abroad constituency for parliamentary elections would require a constitutional amendment. A separate constituency would also call into question the allocation of voters abroad to a canton. One consequence would be that the granting of political rights at cantonal level would generally have to be called into question, it writes.
Addor’s motion will now pass to the 200-member House of Representatives for debate.
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