Switzerland
Council of States
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Political system
Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
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Parliamentary system
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Structure of parliament
Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
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Bicameral
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IPU membership
Current membership status
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Yes
Parliamentary mandate
Start and end of mandate
- Start of the parliamentary mandate for newly elected members
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When the member is sworn in
- Start of the parliamentary mandate for appointed members
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Not applicable
- End of the parliamentary mandate
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Other
Notes: Members of the Council of States are elected in accordance with Cantonal Law. The duration of their term and the date of election are also governed by Cantonal Law.
Speaker
- Mode of designation of the Speaker
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The Speaker is elected from among the members of parliament/chamber
- Authority that designates the Speaker when the Speaker is designated from outside parliament.
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Rank of the Speaker in the hierarchy of the State
The Speaker often has a very high rank in the protocollary hierarchy of the State.
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Third
Notes: This rank reflects the order of precedence. The seven members of the Federal Council, understood as a single body, rank first.
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Speaker becomes interim Head of State in the event of the latter’s death or incapacity
In some countries, the Speaker acts as interim Head of State when required by the circumstances, such as death or incapacity.
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No
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Speaker's mandate continues between legislatures
The mandate of the Speaker may continue until their successor is elected, even after the dissolution of parliament/chamber.
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No
Speaker terms
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The term of the Speaker is different from the term of the house
The term of the Speaker may be different from the term of the House (legislature).
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Yes
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Speaker's term
The term may be shorter than one year.
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1 Years
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Fixed election date for the Speaker, if any
Speakers in several parliaments are elected on a fixed date in accordance with the Constitution.
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At the beginning of the winter session (November or December)
Immunity and code of conduct
- Parliament’s authorization is required for the detention or prosecution of members
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Yes, except for flagrant delicto
Notes: Authorization by the competent parliamentary committees is only necessary if the felony or misdemeanour is directly related to the member's official position or official activities, or if the criminal proceeding is to be initiated during an ongoing session. In the latter case, a precautionary arrest (max. 24 hours) is possible without prior authorization by the competent committee if there is a risk of absconding or if the member of the Council is caught in the act
Sources:
Federal Act on the Federal Assembly.. art. 17-20
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2003/510/en - There is a Code of conduct for members
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Yes
Salaries and allowances
- Members are paid salaries by parliament
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Yes(2020)
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Basic salary, per year
The figures are the gross amount before tax in national currency.
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80,849 CHF(2023)
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Basic salary, per year in PPP
The figures are provided by parliaments in national currency and converted to PPP dollars using World Bank conversion tables.
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80,849(2023)
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Basic allowances
“Basic allowances” are allowances that are automatically paid to all parliamentarians. They are received in advance as a lump sum at a flat rate. They are not intended to be reimbursement for any expenses. Basic allowances are sometimes called “representation allowance”, “supplemental allowance”, “end-of-year allowance”, etc.
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Click for historical data
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Basic allowance in PPP
The figures were provided by parliaments in national currency and converted to PPP dollars using World Bank conversion tables.
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25,152
- Names of the basic allowances
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Annual contribution to personnel and material costs (Law on the means allocated to parliamentarians, LMAP, Art 3a): https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1988/1162_1162_1162/fr#art_3_a
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Attendance allowance
Amount of the attendance allowance in national currency.
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295 CHF
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Attendance allowance in PPP
The figures were provided by parliaments in national currency and converted to PPP dollars using World Bank conversion tables.
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259
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Periodicity of attendance allowance
Attendance allowances may for example be paid by day, month, year or session.
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Day
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Members pay income tax on salaries
Salaries and/or allowances may be subject to income tax or equivalent.
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Yes
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Members pay income tax on allowances
Salaries and/or allowances may be subject to income tax or equivalent.
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No
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Members can have remunerated employment outside parliament
Certain parliaments allow MPs to exercise other remunerated employment outside parliament.
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Yes
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Members are required to declare income from other employment to parliament
In certain countries, MPs exercising other employment may be required to declare their income.
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No
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Additional salaries and allowances provided for leadership positions
The amount of salaries and allowances is generally higher for the Speaker/President. Some parliaments also provide for additional allowances to Chairs of Committees.
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Yes
Facilities, services and allowances for constituency work
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Personal staff to work directly for the parliamentarian
The personal staff to work directly for the parliamentarian is different from parliamentary staff work for the secretariat of Parliament.
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No
- Office at parliament
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No
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Constituency office
Certain countries provide for an office at constituency if it’s different from a seat of parliament, which is often in the capital. The office at constituency is applicable mainly to the countries using the Plurality/Majority system of elections.
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No
- Housing
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No
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Other cash or in-kind allowances for constituency work
The common in-kind allowances for constituency work include those for travel, overnight stay, etc.
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No
Additional salaries and allowances for leadership positions
| Salary | Allowances | |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Yes | |
| Committee Chair | Yes |
Notes:
Speaker: 117,032 CHF salary per year
Committee Chair: 440 CHF allowance per day
Rapporteur of committee: 220 CHF allowance per day
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Salary of the Speaker
Some parliaments pay for additional salaries to the Speaker/President. Other parliaments have a separate amount of salaries for this post. The total amount of the salaries of the Speaker/President is indicated for both cases.
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117,032 CHF
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Salary of the Speaker in PPP
The figures were provided by parliaments in national currency and converted to PPP dollars using World Bank conversion tables.
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102,660
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Parliament determines the amount of salaries
Some parliaments determine the amount of salaries of MPs. The amount may be set by other institution than parliament.
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Yes
- Name of the body (or bodies) in parliament which determines the amount
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Salaries and allowances are established in laws and decrees that are issued by the parliament. The parts that are established in laws (rather than decrees) are subject to an optional popular vote (50,000 citizens can demand a popular vote).
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Parliament determines the amount of allowances
Some parliaments determine the amount of allowances of MPs. The amount may be set by other institution than parliament.
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Yes
- Name of the body (or bodies) in parliament which determines the amount
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Salaries and allowances are established in laws and decrees that are issued by the parliament. The parts that are established in laws (rather than decrees) are subject to an optional popular vote (50,000 citizens can demand a popular vote).
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Name of the institution outside parliament which determines the amount
This question is only relevant if the amount is set by other institution than parliament.
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No information available
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The parliamentary salary is determined in reference to another salary scale
In some countries, the amount of parliamentary salary is determined in reference to another salary scale, such as civil service salary scale, ministerial salary or the minimum wage of the country.
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No
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Reference scale used for parliamentary salaries
Reference scale used for parliamentary salaries: Civil service salary scale; Ministerial salary; Minimum wage; Other (please specify)
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Click for historical data
Notes: Based on a 1910 letter by Ida Husted Harper to the New York Times
- Information on salaries and allowances on the parliamentary website
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Only average amounts of salaries and allowances across all MPs are published.
https://www.parlament.ch/centers/documents/_layouts/15/DocIdRedir.aspx?ID=DOCID-1-4416
- Links to information on salaries and allowances
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No information available
- Year data was last reported
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2020
Participation in the government
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Members of the government must also be members of parliament
Members of the government must also be members of parliament: Must be a member of parliament; Cannot be a member of parliament; Can be a member of parliament; Other
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Cannot be a member of parliament
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Members for whom data is available
Number of members, at the start of the legislature, for whom age data is available
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46(2023)