From 1959, the Federal Council—the Swiss executive branch—was restructured to include members from the four largest political parties: the liberal Free Democrats, the Catholic Christian Democrats, the left-wing Social Democrats, and the right-wing People's Party. This concordance system aimed to reflect the pluralistic nature of Swiss politics, minimizing opposition by distributing power among major factions, an approach aligned with Switzerland’s tradition of direct democracy.
Women’s Suffrage and Political Inclusion
The struggle for women’s voting rights spanned decades. While several cantons granted women the right to vote in 1959, it was only in 1971 that Swiss women gained suffrage at the federal level. However, resistance persisted in Appenzell Innerrhoden, which only granted women the vote in 1990 following a court ruling. Once enfranchised, women quickly advanced in politics. Elisabeth Kopp became the first female Federal Council member in 1984, and Ruth Dreifuss made history as Switzerland’s first female president in 1999.
Nuclear Ambitions and the Cold War
During the Cold War, Switzerland explored the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, with significant progress achieved by physicists such as Paul Scherrer at the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich. However, a 1962 referendum did not ban nuclear weapons, but financial constraints and Switzerland’s adoption of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968 led to the abandonment of the program by 1988.
Domestic Developments
In 1979, the canton of Jura was created, giving parts of the Bernese Jura greater independence while remaining in the Swiss Federation. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s population expanded rapidly, rising from 4.5 million in 1945 to 7.5 million by the 2000s, largely due to immigration. Though once dominated by Italians, demographic shifts—particularly after the Yugoslav wars—saw immigrants from former Yugoslavia become the largest foreign group, accounting for 3% of the population. Additionally, religious affiliation shifted, with the non-religious population surpassing 10% and the Muslim population growing to around 4%.
Relations with the European Union
Switzerland’s relationship with the European Union (EU) has remained complex. Despite being geographically surrounded by EU countries since 1995 (except for Liechtenstein), Swiss voters have repeatedly opposed membership. A 1992 referendum narrowly rejected entry into the European Economic Area, and in 2001, 76.8% of voters rejected joining the EU.
Although EU membership was off the table, Swiss voters supported bilateral agreements. In 2000, they approved trade and cooperation agreements, and in 2005, they voted to join the Schengen Area, allowing passport-free travel. However, tensions arose in 2014 when a Swiss referendum approved quotas on immigration, complicating Switzerland’s commitment to the EU’s free movement principles.
Switzerland also maintained close economic ties with Europe through the European Free Trade Association, which it co-founded in 1960 as a parallel organization to the EU. This delicate balancing act between integration and independence continues to define Swiss-EU relations.