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Published on 18 April 2019

The way to modern direct democracy in Switzerland

When it comes to political co-determination by citizens, Switzerland is the undisputed world champion. More than one third of all referendums ever held at national level worldwide have taken place in Switzerland. The historical origins of direct democracy in Switzerland are just as interesting as the continuing topical nature of citizens' rights themselves. We provide below an overview.

Hand holding a pen marking a printed voting ballot on a table, with several coloured envelopes stacked in the background.