Info
Parties and Candidates
PC001
Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Signature requirement (specify requirement)
Comments: a) 100/200/400 signatures depending of the size of the canton.
Source: Electoral Law of 17 December 1976 regulating political rights, Art. 24, 76a: http://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19760323/index.html (2014)
Verified: 2025/03/28
PC003
Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Age b . Citizenship f . Registration
Comments: a) 18 years old
f) Registration not required in every canton
Note: Any person eligible to vote may be elected to the National Council, the Federal Council or the Federal Supreme Court.
Source: Constitution, Art. 143: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/201506140000/101.pdf (2015)
Verified: 2025/03/28
PC008
Independent candidates
Question: Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):
e . In both presidential and legislative elections
Comments:
Source: Constitution, Art. 136, 149, 152: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/201506140000/101.pdf(2015)
Verified: 2025/03/28
PC012
Public funding of parties
Question: Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s):
d . Other
Comments: d) Depends on cantonal law. Political parties receive mainly contributions and donations from their members. In most of the cantons, parties are not obliged to publicly disclose these contributions and their expenditure. The cantons of Genève, Tessin, and Neuchatel are the ones where this matter is regulated.
A governmental website (the second source below) also mentions the following:
Switzerland has no national legislation on the financing of political parties. The sources of political parties’ finances include:
1. Annual membership fees;
2. Private gifts and donations;
3. Proceeds from the sale of products and services;
4. Parliamentary group contributions;
5. Contributions from party members who belong to an executive, members of parliament, judges and elected officials affiliated to the party.
No federal law exists that requires parties to disclose their source of funding. However, some cantons have restrictions in place that require parties to disclose their funders' names. In 2013, canton Neuchatel passed a legislation that would require any donor who donates over swiss franc 5000 to be made public. Other cantons with similar restrictions are Geneva and Ticino. Recently, cantons Fribourg and Schwyz passed a referendum in favor of introducing laws that would require political parties to reveal their campaign budgets and
disclose their big donors' names.
Source: 1. Official Website of the Swiss Federal Chancellery, on Party Funding in Switzerland: http://www.ch.ch/abstimmungen_und_wahlen/02186/02191/02284/index.html?lang=fr (2014)||
2. Official Website for the service of confederation, cantons, and communes, on Financing of Political Parties:
https://www.ch.ch/en/demokratie/political-parties/financing-of-political-parties/ ||
3. Official Website of the Confederation Suisse, on Political Parties:
https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/politik/uebersicht/politische-parteien.html ||
4. Switzerland to Vote on Transparency in Party Financing, Humanrights website:https://www.humanrights.ch/en/switzerland/internal-affairs/national/switzerland-vote-transparency-party-financing ||
5. Loi sur les droits politiques (LDP), Le Grand Conseil de la Republique et Canton de Neuchatel, Chapter 4, Article 133m: http://rsn.ne.ch/DATA/program/books/rsne/pdf/141.pdf
Verified: 2025/03/28
PC015
Question: What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):
e . Other
Comments: e) Depends on cantonal law. Political parties receive mainly contributions and donations from their members. In most of the cantons, parties are not obliged to publicly disclose these contributions and their expenditure. The cantons of Genève and Tessin are the only ones where this matter is regulated.
Source: Official Website of the Swiss Federal Chancellery, on Party Funding in Switzerland: http://www.ch.ch/abstimmungen_und_wahlen/02186/02191/02284/index.html?lang=fr (2014)
Verified: 2025/03/28
PC017
Question: Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: a) Political parties receive mainly contributions and donations from their members. In most of the cantons, parties are not obliged to publicly disclose these contributions and their expenditure. The cantons of Genève and Tessin are the only ones where this matter is regulated.
Source: Official Website of the Swiss Federal Chancellery, on Party Funding in Switzerland: http://www.ch.ch/abstimmungen_und_wahlen/02186/02191/02284/index.html?lang=fr (2014)
Verified: 2025/03/28
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