Assemblée communale

Assemblée communale (assembly of the commune) or assemblée primaire (primary assembly) is the current name of the legislative power of certain communes of Switzerland. Every citizen is part of the assembly and may participate in it^[1] simply by showing their bulletin d'électeur (ballot). The assembly is called Assemblée communale in the cantons of Bern and Fribourg, Assemblée primaire in the Valais and Conseil général [fr] in the canton of Vaud.

This structure is primarily seen in small communes, but can also be found in much larger communes in German-speaking areas of Switzerland.^[2] There, the electorate selects the representatives who make up the legislative body. The name of that body varies from one canton to another: ^[3]

town council: Canton of Jura
conseil général: general council (Switzerland) [fr] (Valais, Fribourg)
conseil communal [fr] (Vaud).

The Canton of Neuchâtel does not have communal assemblies. Its legislature, the Grand Council of Neuchâtel, has 115 seats distributed in proportion to the population of the six electoral constituencies:

Neuchâtel (35 seats)
Boudry (25)
Val-de-Travers (8)
Val-de-Ruz (10)
Le Locle (10)
La Chaux-de-Fonds (27).

The enabling legislation of the cantons does require communes to have a conseil général [fr] with legislative powers, of 15 to 41 members, based on the size of the commune.

Overview

Elected legislatures of communes by canton
Canton	Number of communes	Name of elected legislature	Number of members	Term of the legislature	Number of communes with an elected legislature	Legal basis
CH-ZH	162 communes in the canton of Zürich	according to the law of the commune in practice Gemeinderat Grosser Gemeinderat Gemeindeparlament	according to the law of the commune in practice between 28 and 150 members	4 years	13 communes	Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-BE	342 communes in the canton of Bern	according to the law of the commune in practice French: Conseil de ville, conseil général German: Stadtrat, Grosser Gemeinderat Gemeindeparlament	minimum 30 members in practice between 31 and 80 members	maximum 6 years in practice 4 years	13 communes	Loi sur les communes [fr]
CH-LU	82 communes in canton of Lucerne	according to the law of the commune	according to the law of the commune	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-UR	20 communes in the canton of Uri	the communes of Uri don't have parliaments				Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-SZ	30 communes in the canton of Schwytz	according to the law of the commune (no parliament as of October 2020)				Gemeindeorganisationsgesetz [de]
CH-OW	7 communes in canton of Obwald	the communes of Obwald do not have parliaments				Constitution cantonale [fr]
CH-NW ^{[N 1]}	11 communes in the canton of Nidwald	Einwohnerrat	20 to 50 members	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law) Behördengesetz [de]
CH-GL	3 communes in the canton of Glarus	according to the law of the commune (no parliament as of October 2020)				' Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-ZG	11 communes in the canton of Zug	Grosser Gemeinderat only Zug has a parliament	according to the law of the canton minimum 20 members 40 members (in practice)	according to the law of the commune 4 years (in practice)		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-FR	133 communes in the canton of Fribourg	Conseil général/Generalrat	from 30 to 80 members	5 years		Loi sur les communes
CH-SO ^{[N 2]}	109 communes in the canton of Soleure	according to the law of the commune	minimum 20 members	according to the law of the commune		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-BS ^{[N 3]}	3 communes in the canton of Bâle-Ville	according to the law of the canton and the commune (Bâle: Grand Conseil; Riehen: Einwohnerrat)	according to the law of the canton and the commune (Bâle: 100 members; Riehen: 40 members	according to the law of the canton and the commune (Bâle and Riehen: 4 years)		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-BL	86 communes in the canton of Bâle-Campagne	Einwohnerrat	according to the law of the commune	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-SH	26 communes in the canton of Schaffhouse	Einwohnerrat except Schaffhouse: Grosser Stadtrat	minimum 12 members (according to the law of the canton) between 13 and 36 members (in practice)	4 years (in practice)		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-AI	6 districts in the canton of Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures no communes	the districts of Appenzell Rhodes-Intérieures do not have parliaments				Constitution cantonale
CH-AR ^{[N 4]}	30 communes in the canton of Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures	according to the law of the commune (in practice Einwohnerrat)	according to the law of the commune (in practice 31 members)	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-SG	133 communes in the canton of Saint-Gall	according to the law of the commune (in practice Stadtparlament)	according to the law of the commune (in practice between 30 and 61 members)	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-GR	communes	according to the law of the commune	according to the law of the commune (in practice between 15 and 21 members)	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-AG	210 communes in the canton of Argovie	Einwohnerrat	minimum 30 members maximum 80 members	4 years		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-TG	80 communes in the canton of Thurgovie	according to the law of the commune	minimum 20 members	according to the law of the commune		Gemeindegesetz (Municipal law)
CH-TI	112 communes in the canton of Tessin	Consiglio comunale	minimum 15 or 30 members (depending on the population of the commune)	4 years		Legge organica comunale [it]
CH-VD	309 communes in the canton of Vaud	Conseil général or conseil communal	minimum 25 members maximum 100 members	5 years		Loi sur les communes
CH-VS	126 communes in the canton of Valais	Conseil général	minimum 20 members maximum 60 members	4 years		Loi sur les communes
CH-NE	31 communes in the canton of Neuchâtel	Conseil général	according to the law of the commune	4 years		Loi sur les communes
CH-GE	45 communes in the canton of Genève	Conseil municipal	depends on the population of the commune (by decree of the Council of State of Geneva)	5 years		Loi sur l'administration des communes [fr]
CH-JU	53 communes in the canton of Jura	Conseil général	bgcolor="#edd9ff"	minimum 21 members	according to the law of the commune	Loi sur les communes

Legend:

according to the law of the commune

mixture of cantonal and communal law (in general governed by the canton, implemented by the commune)

by default, determined by the law of the canton droit cantonal, modifiable by the commune (implementing an exception)

strictly determined by the law of the canton (No derogation by the law of the commune)

Archaic: France

Immediately after the French Revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy and the Ancien Régime, the Legislative Assembly decreed on August 10, 1792, a convocation of electors to elect a national legislature. Another decree, on August 12, mandated assemblées primaires to select the electors, thereby in effect implementing universal male suffrage.^[4]

Notes

^ The communes of Nidwald do not have parliaments, unless they adopt an organisation known as "extraordinary" (aussordentliche Organisation) after merging with a school district.
^ Olten is the only commune in the canton of Soleure with a parliament.
^ the authorities of the canton manage the commune of Bâle (§ 18 GG/BS); Bettingen does not have a parliament.
^ Herisau is the only commune of canton of Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures with a parliament.

References

^ Stadelmann-Steffen, Isabelle; Dermont, Clau (2016). "How Exclusive is Assembly Democracy? Citizens' Assembly and Ballot Participation Compared". Swiss Political Science Review. 22 (1) (published 20 November 2015): 95–122. doi:10.1111/spsr.12184.
^ Ladner, Andreas (2016). Gemeindeversammlung und Gemeindeparlament: Überlegungen und empirische Befunde zur Ausgestaltung der Legislativfunktion in den Schweizer Gemeinden [Municipal parliament: considerations and empirical findings on the design of the legislative function in the Swiss municipalities] (in German). Institut de hautes études en administration publique (IDHEAP). p. 115. ISBN 978-2-940390-79-3. OCLC 952069714.
^ Switzerland: Main executive and legislative bodies, Eurydice, 23 June 2022, European Union
^ Rothiot, Jean-Paul (2013). "Élire la Convention: les assemblées primaires de Lorraine 26 août 1792" [Electing the Convention: the primary assemblies of Lorraine 26 August 1792]. In Colin, Armand (ed.). Entrer en République (in French). p. 133. doi:10.3917/arco.biard.2013.01.0133. ISBN 9782200287719. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)

Bibliography

Ladner, Andreas (2016). Gemeindeversammlung und Gemeindeparlament: Überlegungen und empirische Befunde zur Ausgestaltung der Legislativfunktion in den Schweizer Gemeinden [Municipal parliament: considerations and empirical findings on the design of the legislative function in the Swiss municipalities] (in German). Institut de hautes études en administration publique (IDHEAP). p. 115. ISBN 978-2-940390-79-3. OCLC 952069714..

[4] The communes of Nidwald do not have parliaments, unless they adopt an organisation known as "extraordinary" (aussordentliche Organisation) after merging with a school district.

[5] Olten is the only commune in the canton of Soleure with a parliament.

[6] the authorities of the canton manage the commune of Bâle (§ 18 GG/BS); Bettingen does not have a parliament.

[7] Herisau is the only commune of canton of Appenzell Rhodes-Extérieures with a parliament.

[1] Stadelmann-Steffen, Isabelle; Dermont, Clau (2016). "How Exclusive is Assembly Democracy? Citizens' Assembly and Ballot Participation Compared". Swiss Political Science Review. 22 (1) (published 20 November 2015): 95–122. doi:10.1111/spsr.12184.

[2] Ladner, Andreas (2016). Gemeindeversammlung und Gemeindeparlament: Überlegungen und empirische Befunde zur Ausgestaltung der Legislativfunktion in den Schweizer Gemeinden [Municipal parliament: considerations and empirical findings on the design of the legislative function in the Swiss municipalities] (in German). Institut de hautes études en administration publique (IDHEAP). p. 115. ISBN 978-2-940390-79-3. OCLC 952069714.

[3] Switzerland: Main executive and legislative bodies, Eurydice, 23 June 2022, European Union

[8] Rothiot, Jean-Paul (2013). "Élire la Convention: les assemblées primaires de Lorraine 26 août 1792" [Electing the Convention: the primary assemblies of Lorraine 26 August 1792]. In Colin, Armand (ed.). Entrer en République (in French). p. 133. doi:10.3917/arco.biard.2013.01.0133. ISBN 9782200287719. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)