Tools in the Swiss Style Direct Democracy Toolkit

Swiss Direct Democracy - "Mandatory Referendum"

In Switzerland, a mandatory referendum is a process where the people must vote on certain important decisions made by the parliament.

For example, if the parliament wants to change the Constitution or join international organizations, the people must agree through a vote.

This type of referendum is required by law, meaning it cannot be avoided. For the decision to pass, it needs a double majority, which means a majority of the total votes and a majority of the cantons must agree.

This ensures that significant changes have broad support from both the population and the regions of the country.