SWITZERLAND: parliamentary elections Ständerat - Conseil des Etats

SWITZERLAND
Parliamentary Chamber: Ständerat - Conseil des Etats - Consiglio degli Stati

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1991

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Chamber:

Ständerat - Conseil des Etats - Consiglio degli Stati

Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

20 October 1991

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the National Council and for 37 of the 46 seats of the Council of States on the normal expiry of the members’ term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

In the 1991 general elections, a record number of 2560 candidates (including 832 women) from the 248 lists contested the 200 National Council seats, while nearly 100 vied for the Council of States. For the first time, the electorate included 18 and 19-year-olds.
Noteworthy campaign issues concerned Switzerland’s relations with the European Community (a divisive question both between and within the contending parties) and the country’s immigration policy. Polling day was once again marked by a low voter turnout, a recurring national phenomenon. Final results returned to power the four-party coalition that has governed the country since 1959 through the “magic formula”. These four groups - the Radicals, Social Democrats, Christian Democrats and Swiss People’s Party - share the seven seats on the Federal Council (governing executive). Gains by smaller extremist parties nevertheless reduced the coalition’s overall National Council total from 160 to 147 seats. Prominent among these was the right-wing Automobilists’ Party, which campaigned, inter alia, for curbing those seeking asylum in Switzerland. Altogether 66 successful candidates were newcomers to the National Council. With respect to the Council of States, the coalition lost one seat, dropping its total to 41.
On 4 December, the Federal Assembly re-elected the seven outgoing members of the Federal Council for four years. Mr. René Felber, Head of the Department for Foreign Affairs, was elected President of the Swiss Confederation for 1992.

STATISTICS

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group Total Gain/Loss

Radical-Democratic Party 18 +4

Christian-Democratic People’s Party 16 -3

Swiss People’s Party 4 =

Social-Democratic Party 3 -2

Liberal Party 3 =

Independent Alliance 1 =

Ticino League 1 +1

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men: 42

Women: 4

Distribution of seats according to profession:

Lawyers, notaries 17

Teachers 6

Employers in industry and business 6

Farmers 2

Engineers, architects 3

Liberal professions (non-legal) 2

Others (including officials of employer or trade union organizations, State councillors, mayors) 10

<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for SWITZERLAND <<<

Chamber:
	Ständerat - Conseil des Etats - Consiglio degli Stati
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	20 October 1991
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in the National Council and for 37 of the 46 seats of the Council of States on the normal expiry of the members’ term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	In the 1991 general elections, a record number of 2560 candidates (including 832 women) from the 248 lists contested the 200 National Council seats, while nearly 100 vied for the Council of States. For the first time, the electorate included 18 and 19-year-olds. Noteworthy campaign issues concerned Switzerland’s relations with the European Community (a divisive question both between and within the contending parties) and the country’s immigration policy. Polling day was once again marked by a low voter turnout, a recurring national phenomenon. Final results returned to power the four-party coalition that has governed the country since 1959 through the “magic formula”. These four groups - the Radicals, Social Democrats, Christian Democrats and Swiss People’s Party - share the seven seats on the Federal Council (governing executive). Gains by smaller extremist parties nevertheless reduced the coalition’s overall National Council total from 160 to 147 seats. Prominent among these was the right-wing Automobilists’ Party, which campaigned, inter alia, for curbing those seeking asylum in Switzerland. Altogether 66 successful candidates were newcomers to the National Council. With respect to the Council of States, the coalition lost one seat, dropping its total to 41. On 4 December, the Federal Assembly re-elected the seven outgoing members of the Federal Council for four years. Mr. René Felber, Head of the Department for Foreign Affairs, was elected President of the Swiss Confederation for 1992.

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Radical-Democratic Party	18	+4
Christian-Democratic People’s Party	16	-3
Swiss People’s Party	4	=
Social-Democratic Party	3	-2
Liberal Party	3	=
Independent Alliance	1	=
Ticino League	1	+1

Distribution of seats according to profession:
Lawyers, notaries	17
Teachers	6
Employers in industry and business	6
Farmers	2
Engineers, architects	3
Liberal professions (non-legal)	2
Others (including officials of employer or trade union organizations, State councillors, mayors)	10