Talk:Swiss Federal Council/Archive 1

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I'd like to move this from Federal Council of Switzerland to Swiss Federal Council. -- User:Docu

8 persons in the phote, 7 ministers - who's the extra?

read the captiondab (ᛏ)

Head of State

ok, first of all, with re-inserting the "head of state" statement, you also deleted

the president of the National Council of Switzerland is considered the highest ranking official.

are you disputing this as well? Re "head of state", can you show me an off-Wikipedia reference? I realize the council is featured on head of state, but I argue that's just as wrong. head of state is interwikied to de:Staatsoberhaupt, and there is stated

Einige wenige moderne Staaten kennen kein Staatsoberhaupt. Dazu zählen Japan, die Schweiz und San Marino.

"A few modern states do not have a head of state, among them Japan, Switzerland, and San Marino".

So, Switzerland has a council of ministers, the president of which has the title "President of the Confederation", but he is not considered head of state, or even as higher-ranking than the president of the national council. At most, we can state that the president of the confederation is taking on international representative tasks normally reserved for the head of state of other countries. You see, the Swiss take some pride in their flat hierarchy where the "head of state" is actually the people, and it is no coincidence that the title is avoided. dab (ᛏ) 07:04, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Well, the CIA World Factbook refers to the president of the Swiss Confederation as "both the chief of state and the head of government". Considering that the president actually performs the ceremonial role normally associated with heads of state elsewhere and considering that he presides over the Federal Council, I think the CIA's assessment is pretty accurate while the Wikipedia article is not ! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.6.104.244 (talk • contribs)

Well, I agree that the President of the National Council is considered the "highest" official, but, as it was phrased, one might have understood that he was head of state. I'm not sure if his status is a matter of order of precedence or just seating when the Federal Assembly convenes for the election of the Federal Council. The article about the his/her office could detail this.

For an offsite reference you may want to use ISBN 3725549079 though the most recent edition may have evolved. Oddly your quote omits 800 years of Captains Regent. Further, maybe we should include in the article that the President of the Confederation didn't traditionally travel abroad (the foreign minister does) and foreign heads of state are often received by several if not all seven councillors. -- User:Docu

well, I don't know about San Marino. I just know that Switzerland makes a *point* of not having a head of state, what with direct democracy and all. Therefore it is at least misleading to say the federal council is the head of state, even if he is perceived as such abroad. yes, the foreign minister bit would make things clearer: she is not visiting other heads of state because she is one herself, but simply because it is her job to look after Switzerland's relations with other states. dab (ᛏ) 11:23, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)

As you asked for an off-site reference above, may I ask for one from you as well? BTW isn't it usual that all seven councillors together receive visiting heads of states? - User:Docu

I just realized that according to the official site, the FC is not "head of government", it is the government itself,

The Swiss Government consists of the seven members of the Federal Council who are elected by the United Federal Assembly for a four-year mandate.

its position is described as "supreme authority of the country" (translating oberste leitende Behörde des Landes, with the additional leitend ("supreme executive authority")). [1] . As for the President of the National Council, he actually sits front center, leading the sessions. "highest official" simoly gestures at the idea that the legislative is superior to the executive, which only carries out the laws. the emphasis is on official, since yet above the legislative is the sovereign appointing the legislative, i.e. the citizens. dab (ᛏ) 11:41, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)