Landsgemeinde

The Landsgemeinde is an institution of Direct democracy which one finds in some Swiss Cantons.

Its objective is to solve collective problems by bringing together the citizens of the commune or the canton. The Landsgemeinde falls under this tradition, while having however wider capacities. Once per annum, generally Sunday of Spring, the assembly proceeds, on the place of the chief town, to the election by a show of hands of the president of the Landsgemeinde , then Landammann (president of the government), of her colleagues of the government, representatives of the canton to the Conseil of the States, judges and certain civils servant. The Votation S are also held there. The result of the vote is the fruit of an estimate rather than of a precise calculation.

If the Landsgemeinde is introduced for the 1st time into the canton of Uri in 1231, it does not exist from now on any more but in two cantons: Appenzell Rhodos-Interior and Glaris. In the communes, on the other hand, it is still very widespread since 4/5e of them has a popular assembly instead of a Parliament and this, mainly in German-speaking Switzerland. But the absence of the secrecy of the vote - the vote by show of hands makes it possible to know what the neighbors or the friends think - as well as the duration (several hours) of the procedure lead the citizens to ignore this form of direct participation.

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