The federal administration of Switzerland[1] is the ensemble of agencies that constitute, together with the Swiss Federal Council, the executive branch of the Swiss federal authorities. The administration is charged with executing federal law and preparing draft laws and policy for the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly.[2]
The administration consists of seven federal departments and the Federal Chancellery. The departments are roughly equivalent to the ministries of other states, but their scope is generally broader. Each department consists of several federal offices, which are headed by a director, and of other agencies. The much smaller Federal Chancellery, headed by the Federal Chancellor, operates as an eighth department in most respects.
Federal Council
The administration in its entirety is directed by the Swiss Federal Council,[3] and the Federal Council and the administration are subject to parliamentary oversight by the Federal Assembly. Each member of the Federal Council is also, in his or her individual capacity, the head of one of the seven departments.[3] The Federal Council has the sole authority to decide on the size and composition of the departments, and to make all executive decisions that are not delegated by law to an individual department, or to the Chancellery. The Council also decides which department its members are appointed to lead, although it is customary that Councillors choose their preferred department in order of seniority.
The absence of hierarchic leadership within the Council has caused the departments to acquire a very considerable autonomy, to the extent that the federal executive has been characterised as "seven co-existing departmental governments."[3]
Size
From 1954 to 1990, roughly two per cent of Switzerland's resident population were federal employees. This percentage has since declined due to army cutbacks and the partial privatisation of federal enterprises such as PTT (now Swisscom and Swiss Post).[4] As of 2008, the Confederation employed some 102,000 people, all but 32,000 of which were working for federal enterprises such as the Post and the Swiss Federal Railways.[4]
Development
After the founding of the Swiss federal state in 1848, the Federal Council and its handful of officials took up residence in the Erlacherhof in Bern.[4] The entire administrative staff consisted of 80 persons in 1849, while the postal service had 2,591 officials and the customs service 409.[4] The first dedicated administrative building, now the western wing of the Bundeshaus, was completed in 1857.[4]
The number of departments and Federal Councillors has been constitutionally fixed at seven since 1848.[5] The number of the departments' subordinate entities, which are constituted by statute – generally as "federal offices" after the 1910s – has grown substantially in step with the expanding role of the state in the 20th century, even though some have been merged or abolished.[5]
A 1964 government reform made the Federal Chancellery into the general staff unit of the Federal Council, and created General Secretariats as departmental staff units.[6] A 1978 statute granted the title of secretary of state to the holders of two (later three) directoral posts whose functions require independent interaction with foreign authorities.[7] Since the 1990s, New Public Management models have been experimentally introduced; twelve offices are now run with autonomous budgets.[2]
Location
Governmental and administrative offices are located in the east and west wings of the Federal Palace of Switzerland, to either side of the central Parliament Building.
The seat of the federal authorities, including almost all of the administration, is Bern. The departments and offices are located in the east and west wings of the Bundeshaus and in numerous buildings in or close to the city center. In the 1990s, some offices were moved to other parts of the country, in part to aid economic development of these regions.[4] Also, some federal authorities have field offices in other cities.
The Swiss Federal Chancellery is the staff organisation of the Federal Council and the federal administration. As of 2024, it is headed by Federal ChancellorViktor Rossi. It is composed of several sectors, the Federal Chancellery sector headed directly by the incumbent Chancellor, while the other two sectors are led by the Vice-Chancellors. The Federal Council sector was led by Rossi until his election as Chancellor, and has been led on an interim basis by Rossi's predecessor, Jörg De Bernardi.[8] In July 2024, De Bernardi will be succeeded by Rachel Salzmann on a permanent basis.[9] As of May 2024, the information and communications sector is led ad interim by Ursula Eggenberger, following the sudden death of Vice-Chancellor André Simonazzi.[10][11]
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is Switzerland's ministry of foreign affairs. As of 2019, it is headed by Ignazio Cassis (FDP/PRD). It is composed of the General Secretariat and of the State Secretariat, which in turn is composed of the following directorates and agencies:[12]
Directorate of Political Affairs: Led by the Secretary of State, responsible for coordinating Swiss foreign policy and administering Swiss foreign missions.
The Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) is Switzerland's ministry of the Interior. As of 2023, it is headed by Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP/PS). It is composed of the General Secretariat and the following federal offices:[13]
Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO): Regulates the Swiss social insurance and system, including old age and survivors' insurance, invalidity insurance, supplementary benefits, occupational pension funds, income compensation for people on national service and for women on maternity leave as well as family allowances in the agricultural sector.
The Federal Department of Justice and Police is Switzerland's ministry of justice. As of 2024, it is headed by Beat Jans (SP/PS). It is composed of the following offices and institutes:[14]
General Secretariat (GS-FDJP)
IT Service Centre (ISC-FDJP)
Post and Telecommunications Surveillance Service (PTSS)
Federal Office of Justice (FOI): Responsible for providing legal advice to the administration, preparing general legislation, supervising government registers and collaborating on international judicial assistance.
Federal Office of Police (fedpol): Responsible for intercantonal and international information, coordination and analysis in internal security matters. It also operates the domestic intelligence service (Service for Analysis and Prevention SAP), and the Federal Criminal Police (FCP), which investigates crimes subject to federal jurisdiction.
Institutes
Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS): Provides calibration and accreditation services, supervises the use of measuring instruments and provides training in metrology.
The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS) is Switzerland's ministry of defence. As of 2019, is headed by Viola Amherd (CVP/PDC). It is composed of the following administrative units:[15]
General Secretariat, including the Federal Strategy Unit for IT (FSUIT).
Federal Finance Administration (FFA): Responsible for the budget, financial planning, financial policy, the federal treasury and financial equalisation between the Confederation and the cantons. Operates the federal mint.
Federal Office of Personnel (FOPER): Responsible for human resources management, personnel policy and personnel training.
Federal Tax Administration (FTA): Responsible for federal revenue collection and the application of federal tax laws in the cantons.
The following independent authorities are affiliated to the FDF for administrative purposes:
Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO): The federal government audit office. Examines accounting practices and verifies the proper and efficient use of resources by the administration, other public service institutions and subsidy recipients.
Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA): Regulates banks, insurances, securities dealers, investment funds and stock exchanges, as well as the disclosure of shareholding interests, public takeover bids and mortgage lenders.
Federal Pension Fund (PUBLICA): Provides insurance coverage to employees of the federal administration, the other branches of the federal government and associated organisations.
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) is Switzerland's ministry of the economy. As of 2019, it is headed by Guy Parmelin (SVP/UDC). It is composed of the following offices:[18]
As of 2023, the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) is headed by Albert Röstli. It is composed of the following offices:[19]
Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN): Responsible for matters of the environment, including the protection of plants and animals and the protection against noise, air pollution or natural hazards.
Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom): monitors electricity prices, rules as a judicial authority on disputes relating to network access and payment of cost-covering feed-in of electricity produced from renewable energy, monitors electricity supply security and regulates issues relating to international electricity transmission and trading.
Safety Office (formerly known as the Civil Aviation Safety Office, CASO): supports the development of safety in land, sea and air transport, in the use, transport and distribution of energy, and for communications infrastructures
^DETEC, Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. "Organisation". www.uvek.admin.ch. Retrieved 11 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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