Wesen und Bedeutung der Parlamentsfraktion aus schweizerischer Sicht

Abstract

The parliamentary group is a multifunctional element of high importance within the social and governmental structures of modern democracies (part I). A comparative view reveals that, due to the specific constitutional and political framework, the position of Swiss parliamentary groups differs considerably from the position held by parliamentary groups in democracies with a parliamentary governmental system such as the United Kingdom or Germany (part II). In Switzerland, parliamentary groups have only quite recently become an object of legal provisions, and the law is still quite incomplete in this respect. The rules differ in various points from German parliamentary law (part III). The affiliation of the deputies to groups contrasts with their free mandate provided for by Art. 91 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. Looking at the realities of Swiss parliamentary life, it appears, however, that Swiss deputies are generally less dependent on their groups and enjoy greater freedom than their counterparts in the United Kingdom or in Germany (part IV).