Landsgemeinde

The Landsgemeinde is one of the oldest and simplest forms of direct democracy practised in some cantons of Switzerland.

Related Topics:
Direct democracy - Switzerland

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Eligible citizens of the canton meet on a certain day in the open air to decide on laws and expenditures by the council. Everyone can debate a question. Voting is accomplished by those in favour of a motion raising their hands, or historically by raising their ceremonial sword.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Landsgemeinde has always been a political instrument of rural areas; in city states like for example Lucerne, Schaffhausen, or Berne, a general assembly of all citizens had never been established and would also have been impractical. On district level, however, Landsgemeinden did also exist in centrally governed cantons; e.g. in the canton of Berne, there was a Landgemeinde of the Emmental.

Related Topics:
Lucerne - Schaffhausen - Berne - Canton of Berne - Emmental

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Critics of the Landsgemeinde argue that the democratic fundamental right on anonymous voting by this form of democracy were not ensured. For practical reasons, the Landsgemeinde has been abolished in all but two cantons, where it is still the highest political instance of the canton: in Glarus it takes place each first Sunday in May, in Appenzell Innerrhoden on last Sunday in April. All other cantons which once had implemented the Landsgemeinde on state level have abandoned it: as a general assembly of all citizens eligible to vote, it simply becomes impractical to hold when there are too many voters.

Related Topics:
Glarus - Appenzell Innerrhoden

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A general assembly system is still in use in many Swiss municipalities, especially smaller ones. The legislative competence of the municipal assemblies (assemblée communale, Gemeindeversammlung) is determined by the cantons. On district level, Landsgemeinden still exist in many cantons; many Vereine (voluntary associations) also call their general assembly a "Landsgemeinde".

Related Topics:
Municipalities - Voluntary association

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Of all the Swiss cantons, only eight rural cantons once used the Landsgemeinde on state level{{ref|rural}}, six of which abolished it for practicality and anonymity reasons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~