Switzerland Celebrates Europe’s Strangest System of Government

In September 2010 the Swiss are in the middle of election fever as the parliament prepares to choose two new members of its government, the Federal Council, which acts as a collective head of state. But even Swiss experts have stopped trying to explain the country's bizarre political system to outsiders.

Switzerland’s governing executive body now has a female majority – after Social Democrat Simonetta Sommaruga was appointed to one of two vacant seats. The seven-member Federal Council is made up of the biggest parties.

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle, 22.9.10: Women take majority in Swiss cabinet for first time http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6031612,00.html

BBC News, 22.9.10: Women dominate new Swiss cabinet http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11387996

Swissinfo.ch, 22.9.10: Parliament puts off major cabinet shake-up http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Specials/Cabinet_Election/Background_and_Analysis/Parliament_puts_off_major_cabinet_shake-up.html?cid=28390522

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