The magic formula is the solution Switzerland found to distribute the seven seats of the federal parties between the main political parties of the parliament based on their electoral support. This helped to avoid a specific party having the most cabinet seats and thus controlling the government system.
It also provides linguistic balance, with four seats to German and three to French/Italian speakers.
The "Zauberformel" doesn't have any legal consequences or basis, but it's been in use since 1959, first with the conventional 2-2-2-1 structure: two seats to the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SP), two to the centre-right Radical Party (FDP), two to the centre-right Christian Democratic Party (CVP) and one to the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP). This lasted for 44 years, but over time the seats shifted and now the SVP is the strongest party in Switzerland and gained one seat at the expenses of the CVP.
After the latest elections, the situation changed: with the Green Party's electoral victory and them not having a seat, 1/3 of the voters isn't represented in the Federal Council.
Right now the debate revolves around who should give up a seat for the rising group. The two options would be CVP or FDP, even though most people consider the CVP to be the best candidate, since its vote share was the lowest with 11.4% against FDP's 15.1% & the Green Party's 13.2%
Sources:
- Aargauer Zeitung
-
- https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/dringend-gesucht-eine-neue-bundesratsformel-das-sagen-die-alt-bundesraete-leuthard-und-leuenberger-135909432
- https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/zauberformel-mit-gruenem-anstrich-der-poker-um-einen-bundesratssitz-135880373
- swissinfo.ch - https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/magic-formula/246494
- Pictures
- : https://www.vimentis.ch/d/publikation/252/Portrait+2011%3A+Grüne.html
After the latest elections, the situation changed: with the Green Party's electoral victory and them not having a seat, 1/3 of the voters isn't represented in the Federal Council.
Right now the debate revolves around who should give up a seat for the rising group. The two options would be CVP or FDP, even though most people consider the CVP to be the best candidate, since its vote share was the lowest with 11.4% against FDP's 15.1% & the Green Party's 13.2%
Sources:
- Aargauer Zeitung
-
- https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/dringend-gesucht-eine-neue-bundesratsformel-das-sagen-die-alt-bundesraete-leuthard-und-leuenberger-135909432
- https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/zauberformel-mit-gruenem-anstrich-der-poker-um-einen-bundesratssitz-135880373
- swissinfo.ch - https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/magic-formula/246494
- Pictures: https://www.vimentis.ch/d/publikation/252/Portrait+2011%3A+Grüne.html
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