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- Art. 6 Abs. 6 and 7 FADP
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- Art. 2 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 3 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 4 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 5 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 6 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 7 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 8 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 9 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 11 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 12 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 25 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
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- Art. 34 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
FEDERAL LAW ON PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
LUGANO CONVENTION
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON POLITICAL RIGHTS
CIVIL CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON CARTELS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS OF COMPETITION
FEDERAL ACT ON INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
DEBT ENFORCEMENT AND BANKRUPTCY ACT
FEDERAL ACT ON DATA PROTECTION
SWISS CRIMINAL CODE
CYBERCRIME CONVENTION
- I. History of origin
- II. Context
- III. Commentary in the narrow sense
- IV. Demands for reform
- Recommended further reading
- Bibliography
- Materials
I. History of origin
1 Since 1848, the current Federal Constitution has regulated who has and may exercise political rights in federal matters in Switzerland. Initially, only Swiss men over the age of 20 were allowed to vote - in the popular election of the National Council, the popular initiative for the total revision of the Federal Constitution, the mandatory popular vote on the principle of total revision and the mandatory constitutional referendum with a majority of the people and the cantons. The Federal Constitution of May 29, 1874 (aBV) added the optional referendum against federal laws and against generally binding federal decrees. This was followed by the popular initiative for a partial revision of the Constitution (1891), the change to proportional representation in National Council elections (1918), the referendum on state treaties, the new right of urgency (1939 and 1949), the creation of a constitutional basis concerning the Swiss abroad (1966; implementing legislation 1977 and 1992), the right to vote for women (1971 - late by European standards), the increase in the number of signatures for popular initiatives and referendums (1977), the new voting procedure for popular initiatives with a counter-proposal (1987) and the lowering of the voting age to 18 (1991).
2 Art. 136 BV has remained unchanged since the constitutional reform of 1999 and essentially transposes Art. 74 aBV into the current constitution. Paragraph 1 follows on from the first two paragraphs of the predecessor provision, with the exclusion ground of incapacitation due to "mental illness or mental deficiency" in accordance with the former adult protection law now being anchored in the constitutional text. Paragraph 2 now provides an overview of political rights in the Confederation. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the previous standard, on the other hand, were not included: when the cantons were still able to provide for grounds for excluding voters from voting on federal matters, an explicit allocation of powers was required (Art. 74 para. 3 aBV), as was the related counterpart in Art. 66 aBV (barriers to the exclusion of voting rights). Legislative competence for political rights in federal matters now lies solely with the Confederation. The reservation of cantonal law for votes and elections of cantons and communes (Art. 74 para. 4 aBV), on the other hand, is continued by the Constitution in Art. 39 para. 1. The wording of Art. 136 largely corresponds to the Federal Council's draft (Art. 127 VE-96). While the constitutional committees of both chambers approved the content of Art. 127 VE-96 unchanged, the National Council and the Council of States replaced the terms "right to vote" and "entitled to vote" with "political rights".
II. Context
A. Change of terminology
3 Instead of the term "right to vote and elect" or "right to vote" - as still used in the predecessor standard and first drafts - Art. 136 BV now refers to "political rights", conceptually in line with Art. 34 BV, Art. 39 para. 1-3 BV, Art. 40 para. 2 BV and Art. 164 para. 1 lit. a BV. The change is meaningless in factual terms, but makes sense insofar as it captures the individual political rights more accurately: After all, the catalog of political rights includes not only participation in elections and votes, but also the taking and signing of popular initiatives and referendums (Art. 136 para. 2 Cst.); it also links Art. 136 Cst. better conceptually with the guarantee and warranty of political rights (Art. 34 Cst.). However, the Constitution continues to refer to the holders of political rights as "voters".
B. System and purpose
4 Following the chapters on the Confederation, cantons and communes (Title 3), Art. 136 Cst. together with Art. 137 Cst. - subject heading "Political rights" or "Political parties" - form Chapter 1 "General provisions" of Title 4 "People and cantons". The 2nd chapter standardizes initiative and referendum in Art. 138 to and with Art. 142 BV, followed by the 5th title on the federal authorities. Above and beyond the Constitution, Art. 136 of the Federal Constitution is incorporated into the legal system as a binding basic provision of national law, substantiated by the implementing legislation, in particular the Federal Act on Political Rights (CPR) and the Swiss Abroad Act (ASG). The primary purpose of Art. 136 FC is to define who is the holder of political rights in federal matters (composition of the electorate [voters]) and to symbolically clarify that these rights apply equally to all. At the same time, it is intended to provide an overview of political rights in the Confederation.
C. Legal nature and scope
5 In terms of its legal nature, Art. 136 BV is one of the organizational provisions of the Constitution. Only the first sentence of the first paragraph confers independent rights (constitutive effect): On the one hand, it defines who is the holder of political rights in federal matters; on the other hand, it forms the basis of competence for statutory implementation norms on technical aspects of political rights - unless the legislator rather relies on Art. 39 BV for the exercise of political rights. By contrast, the second sentence of the first paragraph, according to which everyone has the same political rights and duties, is primarily symbolic in nature. The second paragraph provides information on the existing political rights in federal matters, from the National Council elections to the referendum, without enshrining them in law.
6 The scope of Art. 136 Cst. must be distinguished from the individual political rights (including the protection of fundamental rights) on the one hand and from cantonal powers on the other: Art. 136 Cst. alone standardizes the prerequisites for who is entitled to political rights in federal matters, whereas their existence results from Art. 138-142, 143 and 149 Cst. How and where these rights are to be exercised - once they have been granted - is determined by Art. 39 Cst. and the associated implementing legislation. The prerequisites for political rights in cantonal matters are governed by cantonal law. The cantons have considerable leeway, for example in determining the voting age or the political rights of foreign nationals. The constitutional protection of political rights is guaranteed by Art. 34 of the Federal Constitution. The equality of rights with regard to political rights arises from Art. 8 BV. Art. 136 BV does not offer any independent or even further-reaching protection claims in this regard.
7 The Federal Statistical Office counted around 5.5 million voters at federal level in 2022, which corresponds to around 63% of the permanent resident population of around 8.7 million. On average, 47.1 percent of voters took part in federal votes in the years 2011-2022.
III. Commentary in the narrow sense
A. Capability and eligibility requirements (para. 1 sentence 1)
8 In the first paragraph, Art. 136 BV conclusively lists three requirements for political rights in federal matters, which must be fulfilled cumulatively: (i.) Swiss citizenship, (ii.) completion of the 18th year of age and (iii.) no incapacitation due to mental illness or mental deficiency. Anyone who fulfills these requirements is entitled to political rights in federal matters. By their very nature, the first two requirements are positive, while the third is negative. All three are based on formal criteria that are easy to apply, but also allow for certain objections: for example, as Tschannen aptly points out, foreigners are not necessarily less familiar with political affairs in Switzerland, 16-year-olds can be more intelligent than certain elderly people, and cognitive impairments do not always lead to complete incapacity to judge.
1. Swiss citizenship
9 Only Swiss citizens within the meaning of Swiss citizenship legislation are entitled to political rights. This also includes Swiss-foreign dual and multiple citizens. The acquisition and loss of Swiss citizenship is governed by the Federal Citizenship Act (BüG). Most Swiss citizens have acquired their citizenship by law at birth due to their ancestry (Art. 1 BüG). However, the method of acquiring citizenship is irrelevant: once naturalization has become legally binding, newly naturalized citizens are subject to the same rules as other Swiss citizens. A waiting period or other limitation of their political rights, as was the case under the Constitution before 1874, is not permitted. Attempts to extend political rights in federal matters to resident foreigners have had little success to date.
2. Completion of the 18th year of age
10 The second requirement under Art. 136 para. 1 of the Federal Constitution is that Swiss citizens must have reached the age of 18. They can therefore exercise their political rights in federal matters from the age of 18 - i.e. from their 18th birthday - provided there is no reason for exclusion (see n. 12 f. below). As mentioned above, this is a purely formal criterion. Accordingly, the age of political or constitutional majority is not determined by the onset of personal political judgment, but by the age of majority as provided for in civil law from the age of 18 (Art. 14 ZGB). Like any age limit, there is something arbitrary about setting the age limit at 18. Although a reduction to 16 years of age has been debated several times in the recent past, there has been no political majority at federal level or in any canton except the canton of Glarus.
11 With regard to political rights and federal offices, the Constitution does not set any further age limit, neither lower (minimum age) nor higher (maximum age). Anyone who meets the requirements of Art. 136 Cst. is therefore eligible for election to the National Council (Art. 143 Cst.), the Federal Council and the Federal Supreme Court.
3. No permanent incapacity of judgment
12 Art. 136 of the Federal Constitution excludes persons from political rights in federal matters who are "incapacitated as a result of mental illness or mental deficiency". The reason for exclusion corresponds conceptually to the Civil Code (CC) in the version valid until the end of 2012. Since then, both the revised adult protection law of the Civil Code and the Federal Act on Political Rights (CPR) have dispensed with the pejorative terms "incapacitation due to mental illness or mental deficiency" and refer to comprehensive guardianship. "Incapacitated" within the meaning of Art. 136 BV is therefore defined as "persons who are under comprehensive guardianship due to permanent incapacity of judgment or who are represented by a person entrusted with guardianship" (Art. 2 BPR; see also Art. 17 ASG). The terms used here are based on the Swiss Civil Code: a person is deemed to be permanently incapable of judgment if, as a result of mental incapacity or mental disorder, they continually lack the ability to act rationally (Art. 16 CC e contrario). The competent child and adult protection authority (KESB) sets up a comprehensive guardianship if the person who is permanently incapable of judgment is in particular need of help (Art. 398 ZGB), as is often the case with a person suffering from severe dementia, for example. In the case of representation by a guardian, the represented person is also permanently incapable of judgment. However, before becoming incapable of judgment, they have appointed another natural or legal person in accordance with Art. 360 para. 1 CC to represent them in the event of their incapacity (Art. 360 ff., in particular the mandatory validity check of incapacity in accordance with Art. 363 para. 2 no. 2 CC). Insofar as the advance care directive fully covers the care of persons and assets as well as representation in legal transactions, it largely corresponds to a comprehensive guardianship. The exclusion from political rights in federal matters in accordance with Art. 136 para. 1 BV in conjunction with Art. 2 BPR. Art. 2 BPR primarily concerns people with cognitive impairments, i.e. people who are so impaired in their overall mental development and learning ability as a result of an organic-genetic or other impairment that they are likely to require lifelong social and educational assistance.
13 As mentioned above, the terms "mental illness or mental deficiency" have negative connotations, are legally outdated and therefore need to be adapted when the opportunity arises. At best, the latest developments in the cantons, particularly in Geneva, provide an opportunity for a corresponding debate at federal level. In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the general withdrawal of the political rights of mentally disabled persons should be questioned and their improved participation in political and public life welcomed. The quasi-"automatic" exclusion of political rights for mentally disabled people based on their status under civil law - comprehensive guardianship or representation by a person authorized to provide care - as provided for in Art. 136 BV in conjunction with Art. 2 BPR as well as most cantonal constitutions, is not compatible with the requirements of Art. 29 CRPD.
4. Legal consequence: legal entity and entry in the electoral register
14 Anyone who meets the three requirements is, as mentioned above, the holder of political rights in federal matters. It follows from Art. 3 para. 1 CPD (and not from Art. 136 FC) that such a person must be entered in the electoral register of the commune of residence: if the person is resident in Switzerland, this is done ex officio (Art. 4 para. 1 CPD); in the case of Swiss nationals abroad, this is done only after entry in the register of Swiss nationals abroad and registration in the commune of residence (Art. 11 et seq. and 18 et seq. ASG).
15 Entry in the register is a procedural requirement for exercising political rights at federal level and is therefore of central importance. The electoral register is therefore publicly accessible to voters and incorrect entries can be challenged in the Federal Supreme Court in the last instance. Anyone who no longer meets the requirements of Art. 136 BV is deleted from the electoral register: If the child and adult protection authority (KESB) places a person under comprehensive guardianship due to permanent incapacity of judgment or if a precautionary mandate becomes effective for a person with permanent incapacity of judgment, the KESB notifies the competent civil registry office (Art. 449c ZGB), which in turn must forward the notification to the municipal residents' registration office responsible for the electoral register.
B. Generality and equality of political rights (para. 1 sentence 2)
16 The subject of the second sentence is the holders of political rights, as outlined in the first sentence. They "all have the same political rights and duties." The second sentence thus takes up the democratic principle that all voters have equal political rights and must therefore be treated equally by the state without exception (generality and equality). This concretization of the general principle of equality for political rights is historically conditioned and does not convey any independent legal claims that go beyond Art. 8 BV (equality of rights), but is primarily symbolic. The promised equality of rights is in fact limited to a pure equality of counting value in the sense of "one person equals one vote", whereas the Swiss constitutional system allows for certain deviations in the equality of voting power and success value: For example, the requirement of a majority of the cantons (Art. 142 para. 2 of the Federal Constitution) - the result within a canton counts as a popular vote (Art. 142 para. 3 of the Federal Constitution) - means that the vote of a voter in a smaller canton carries more weight (greater voting power) than the vote of a voter in a larger canton. In the current procedure for National Council elections, voters vote according to proportional representation. As the cantons form the constituencies (Art. 149 para. 3 BV), but there is no proportional representation across constituencies, not all votes can contribute equally to the election result, which further distorts the equality of votes. However, in BGE 147 I 194, the Federal Supreme Court described the "restriction of equal voting power", which is associated with the regulation on the majority of the cantons in popular initiatives, as "constitutionally intended [...] and binding for the Federal Supreme Court".
17 The fact that the second sentence of Art. 136 para. 1 BV also mentions the duties in addition to the rights is due to historical reasons and, according to the dispatch, was done "[a]fter reasons of symmetry". This includes a possible obligation to vote, possibly combined with a penalty for non-performance (compulsory voting), and the obligation to accept and perform certain secondary offices (compulsory office). However, federal law does not provide for any such individual political duties - unless one includes the disclosure obligations for transparency in political financing that have been in force since October 23, 2022 (Art. 76b et seq. BPR). If the federal legislator wanted to introduce a duty to vote or a duty to hold office, Art. 136 para. 1 sentence two BV and the term "duties" would certainly also be in focus. The cantons, on the other hand, are free to introduce a voting obligation and associated sanctions for cantonal and federal votes, as the canton of Schaffhausen has done.
18 There are indications that the second sentence should be deleted if the opportunity arises. However, the National Council's Political Institutions Committee recently decided not to do so in its preliminary draft. Instead, it opted for the smallest possible change and the greatest possible traditional link to the current constitutional text, even though lowering the voting age to 16 - without the right to stand for election - in the first sentence would have increased the tension between the promised equality in the second sentence. In view of the new disclosure obligations in Art. 76b ff. BPR, this certainly made sense.
C. Overview of the individual political rights (para. 2)
19 The second paragraph lists the political rights in federal matters individually. It is not constitutive: The enumeration has no independent meaning, but informs the readership to which political rights the first paragraph entitles them. The nature and scope of the enumerated rights, on the other hand, are determined by separate constitutional norms: Thus, the right to actively participate in National Council elections arises from Art. 149 BV, the right to stand as a candidate from Art. 143 BV, and with regard to federal votes from Art. 140-142 BV; Art. 138, 139 and 141 BV then regulate the taking and signing of referendums and popular initiatives. Since a launching or signing obligation is absurd for the latter, the second paragraph uses the verb "may" for all the rights of participation listed - presumably for reasons of linguistic economy, the materials say nothing about this - without, however, ruling out a legal obligation to participate in federal votes and elections. The elections to the Council of States as cantonal elections (Art. 150 para. 3 BV) are rightly not mentioned. If the constitutional legislator were to extend political rights in federal matters in the future, the second paragraph of Art. 136 BV would have to be amended accordingly due to its informational nature.
IV. Demands for reform
20 In the recent past, political initiatives at national level have called for an extension of voting rights in three areas that required an amendment to Art. 136 FC, namely with regard to the inclusion of foreign nationals (A.), the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities (B.) and the lowering of the voting age (C.)
A. Inclusion of foreign nationals
21 At federal level, the Constitution denies political rights to foreign nationals. The introduction of voting rights for foreign nationals would require a revision of the final provision in Art. 136 para. 1 BV. The parliamentary initiative of the Green parliamentary group (21.405) "Mehr Demokratie wagen. Voting and election rights for foreign nationals" of March 1, 2021, called for Art. 136 of the Federal Constitution to be amended so that foreign nationals who have been legally resident in Switzerland for five years also have political rights in federal matters. The National Council clearly rejected the initiative on June 7, 2022. In line with this, the doctrine considers the chances of such initiatives in the foreseeable future to be politically unrealistic. Switzerland has no international obligations to grant political rights to foreign nationals.
22 The Federal Constitution allows the cantons to grant political rights to the foreign population at cantonal and communal level (Art. 39 para. 1 BV). Whether the cantons need a corresponding basis in their constitution is disputed. To date, the cantons of Neuchâtel and Jura have granted political rights to foreign nationals at cantonal level, with both cantonal constitutions explicitly providing for this. In addition, the cantonal constitutions of Fribourg, Jura, Neuchâtel and Vaud provide for political rights for foreign nationals in communal matters in all municipalities - as does the new draft constitution in the canton of Valais. The canton of Geneva goes less far, as foreigners are allowed to vote in communal matters and sign initiatives and referendums, but are not eligible to vote themselves. Among the German-speaking Swiss cantons, only Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Basel-Stadt and Graubünden authorize their municipalities to introduce political rights for foreigners - excluding regulations concerning national churches; to date, only a small number of municipalities have made use of this. In all these cantons, certain preconditions apply, such as a specific residence status, a minimum period of residence in Switzerland (often 10 years) and a minimum period of residence for communal matters. While some academics are in favor of extending political rights to foreign nationals, at least at communal level, the National Council clearly rejected a corresponding parliamentary initiative by Atici (21.414) "Voting rights for all in communal matters after five years of residence in Switzerland" of 11 March 2021 in the summer of 2022.
B. Inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities
23 The Federal Constitution and implementing legislation exclude Swiss citizens of legal age from political rights in federal matters if they are under comprehensive guardianship due to permanent incapacity of judgment or are represented by a guardian. The exclusion is quasi "automatic" - i.e. without individual examination - on the assumption that those affected are also permanently incapable of judgment in political matters. In contrast, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) guarantees political rights for people with disabilities (Art. 29) regardless of the type of disability. The CRPD requires the state party to take appropriate action; it does not provide for exclusion. Voices in teaching and politics therefore rightly criticize the quasi "automatic" exclusion of political rights for people with intellectual disabilities in Swiss law, and not without effect:
At federal level, the Federal Chancellery (FC) prepared a report on the political participation of Swiss people with intellectual disabilities as a result of the Carobbio postulate (21.3296) "People with an intellectual disability should be able to participate fully in political and public life" and the Baume-Schneider interpellation (21.3295) "Political rights for people with a mental or intellectual disability", both dated 18 March 2021. The report Po. 21.3296 was published on October 25, 2023. According to its final assessment, the current regulation on the exclusion of voting rights is in conflict with legal equality and obligations under international law; the question of the necessity of voting rights exclusions and the associated balancing of interests must be clarified at constitutional level. Next, the Federal Assembly will deal with the report and its demands.
At cantonal level, the canton of Geneva stands out: since the end of 2020, it has completely refrained from restricting the voting rights of persons who are permanently incapable of judgment (Art. 48 KV/GE). Similar initiatives and projects are currently being examined by politicians in the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Neuchâtel, Vaud, Valais and Zurich. Less inclusive, but already in force, are the regulations in the cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel, which provide for special review procedures instead of the criticized automatic procedure if they exclude people from cantonal political rights.
Further reform impulses could also arise in the parishes. For example, the planned mergers of the Protestant Reformed parishes in the city of Bern would provide an opportunity to draft any new organizational regulations in line with the BRK.
24 Switzerland's obligations under international law, the developments in the canton of Geneva and the numerous projects and initiatives underway at federal and cantonal level show that there seems to be political momentum for a CRPD-compliant design of political rights. The future will show whether the legal basis for this will adopt the Geneva solution or provide for an individual review process, continuing to establish itself first at cantonal level and only then at federal level. Regardless of this, the thrust is to be welcomed.
C. Lowering the voting age
25 Since 1991, initiatives have launched the parliamentary debate on lowering the voting age to 16 approximately every five to seven years, most recently the Arslan parliamentary initiative (19.415) "Giving young people a voice" of 21 March 2019. In some cases, these initiatives even called for a minimum voting age to be waived altogether. The Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees children and young people the right to form and express an opinion on matters that affect them, as well as the right to be taken into account in accordance with their age and maturity. However, as things stand at present, international law does not provide for equal voting rights for children and young people. For a purely active right to vote in federal matters from the age of 16 (or from an even younger age), at least Art. 136 of the Federal Constitution and the associated implementing legislation would have to be adapted. The number of voters would increase by around two and a half percent if the voting age of 16 were introduced. At federal level, all initiatives have so far failed - however, the aforementioned Arslan parliamentary initiative (19.415) is currently pending in the Federal Assembly.
26 As at federal level, the initiatives have so far also failed in the cantons, with one exception in the canton of Glarus. It was the only canton to introduce the voting age of 16 on May 6, 2007. In the last federal consultation on the voting age of 16 at the end of 2022, seven cantons were nevertheless in favor of lowering the voting age to 16 or at least welcomed a national debate - despite some opposing voting results. The cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Aargau, Basel-Stadt, Lucerne and Graubünden are currently (spring 2024) considering proposals or initiatives that include or call for a voting age of 16. In addition, certain cantons already allow the circle of voters for national churches, parishes and other public-law bodies to be extended by law, or transfer the power to determine the voting age directly to these organizations by law. In many Protestant Reformed regional churches, for example, the voting age is 16.
27 The formal criterion of the minimum age is based on the idea that the exercise of political rights requires the maturity and ability to form a political opinion. It is not based on the individual's development. In the political debate, supporters of the voting age of 16 emphasize that the earlier involvement of young people in political decision-making processes could promote and help maintain political engagement among young people; at the same time, lowering the age would reduce the under-representation of young people in political bodies and lower the median age among voters. Opponents, on the other hand, often justify their rejection with the age of majority under civil law of 18 years and the argument that young people already have specific opportunities to participate in politics, such as the youth session. Furthermore, all recent attempts at cantonal level have failed. The legal literature occasionally speaks out in favor of the voting age of 16; often - as in the present case - it remains with a description of the legal situation. The Federal Council has not yet taken a clear position on the voting age of 16. However, it has declared its willingness to carry out further clarifications (e.g. by means of a report) and considers it at least possible to lower the voting age.
28 In an international comparison, the voting age at national level is 18 in the majority of countries. However, there are exceptions: Austria introduced the voting age of 16 over 10 years ago. Within Europe, Scotland, Wales, Slovakia and Malta also have such regulations. Non-European countries primarily include Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba. In New Zealand, the Supreme Court also ruled in November 2022 that the voting age of 18 was discriminatory against sixteen and seventeen-year-olds. The developments abroad, the ongoing cantonal initiatives and the regularity of initiatives at federal level show that the discussion about lowering the voting age in Switzerland is unlikely to die down in the future.
The author gives his personal assessment in this commentary.
He would like to thank Dr. iur. Beat Kuoni, lawyer, Political Rights Section, Federal Chancellery, and Dr. iur. Lukas Schaub, LL.M., lecturer in constitutional and administrative law ZHAW, for their review and valuable advice and comments.
About the author
Dr. iur. Karl-Marc Wyss, attorney at law, is a research assistant at the Federal Office of Justice, Directorate of Public Law, Legislation Projects II. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the provisional implementation of federal popular initiatives by ordinance and publishes and teaches in the fields of administrative, constitutional and procedural law.
Recommended further reading
Biaggini Giovanni, Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, Orell Füssli Kommentar, 2. Aufl., Zürich 2017.
Boillet Véronique, Le corps électoral fédéral, in: Diggelmann Oliver/Hertig Randall Maya/Schindler Benjamin (Hrsg.), Verfassungsrecht der Schweiz. Droit constitutionnel suisse, Zürich 2020, Band III Verfassungsorgane Verfahren Bereichsverfassungen, S. 1657 ff.
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Materials
Die Ausübung des Stimmrechts aus dem Ausland: Grundlagen, aktuelle Praxis und Handlungsoptionen, Bericht des Bundesrats vom 17.3.2023 in Erfüllung des Postulats 20.4348 Silberschmidt vom 30.11.2020, abrufbar unter https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20204348 (zit. Bericht Po. 20.4348).
Bericht der Staatspolitischen Kommission des Ständerates vom 24.10.2019 zur Parlamentarischen Initiative 19.400 Mehr Transparenz in der Politikfinanzierung, BBl 2019 7875 (zit. Bericht SPK-S zu Pa.Iv. 19.400).
Botschaft über eine neue Bundesverfassung vom 20.11.1996, BBl 1997 I 1 ff., abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/1997/1_1_1_1/de , besucht am 1.7.2023).
(zit.: Botschaft BV); enthält im Anschluss den Bundesbeschluss über eine nachgeführte Bundesverfassung, A Entwurf (S. 589-634; zit. VE-96).
Botschaft zur Änderung des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches (Erwachsenenschutz, Personenrecht und Kindesrecht) vom 28.6.2006, BBl 2006 7001 ff., abrufbar unter BBl 2006 7001 - Botschaft zur Änderung des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches (Erwachsenenschutz, Personen- und Kindesrecht) (admin.ch) (zit. Botschaft Erwachsenenschutz).
Bericht über das Ergebnis des Vernehmlassungsverfahrens vom 30.3.2023 zur Parlamentarischen Initiative (19.415) «Den jungen Menschen eine Stimme geben. Aktives Stimm- und Wahlrecht für 16-jährige als erster Schritt ins aktive politische Leben», abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/de/consultation-procedures/ended/2022#https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2022/59 (zit. Ergebnisbericht zur Pa.Iv. 19.415).
Bericht der Staatspolitischen Kommission vom 29.4.2022 zu den Parlamentarischen Initiativen «Mehr Demokratie wagen. Stimm- und Wahlrecht für Ausländerinnen und Ausländer» (21.405) und «Stimmrecht für alle in kommunalen Angelegenheiten nach fünf Jahren Wohnsitz in der Schweiz» (21.414), abrufbar unter https://www.parlament.ch//centers/kb/Documents/2021/Kommissionsbericht_SPK-N_21.414_2022-04-29.pdf (zit. Bericht SPK-N zu Pa.Iv. 21.405/21.414).
Erster Bericht der Schweizer Regierung über die Umsetzung des Übereinkommens über die Rechte der Menschen mit Behinderungen vom 29.6.2016, abrufbar unter https://www.edi.admin.ch/dam/edi/de/dokumente/gleichstellung/bericht/Initialstaatenbericht%20BRK.pdf.download.pdf/Initialstaatenbericht_BRK_v1.0.pdf (zit. Staatenbericht).
Explanatory memorandum by Mr Aligrudić, rapporteur, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Expansion of democracy by lowering the voting age to 16, Mars 2011, Doc. 12546 (zit. Rapport 12546).
Politische Teilhabe von Schweizerinnen und Schweizern mit einer geistigen Behinderung, Bericht des Bundesrates vom 25.10.2023 in Erfüllung des Postulats 21.3296 Carobbio vom 18.3.2021, abrufbar unter https://www.parlament.ch/centers/eparl/_layouts/15/DocIdRedir.aspx?ID=MAUWFQFXFMCR-2-54152 (zit. Bericht Po. 21.3296).
Stimmrechtsalter 16: Partizipation stärken und begleiten, Ein Positionspapier der Eidgenössischen Kommission für Kinder- und Jugendfragen EKKJ, Bern Mai 2020 abrufbar unter https://ekkj.admin.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/ekkj/02pubblikationen/Positionspapier/d_2020_Positionspapier_EKKJ_Stimmrechtalter_16_.pdf (zit. EKKJ-Positionspapier).
United Nations, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Concluding observations on the initial report of Switzerland vom 13.4.2022, CRPD/C/CHE/CO/1.
Vorentwurf und erläuternder Bericht der Staatspolitischen Kommission des Nationalrats vom 1.9.2022 zur Parlamentarische Initiative (19.415) «Aktives Stimm- und Wahlrecht für 16-Jährige», abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/de/consultation-procedures/ended/2022#https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2022/59 (zit. Bericht SPK-N zur Pa.Iv. 19.415).