Swiss parliamentary elections 1884
The Swiss parliamentary elections in 1884 took place on October 26, 1884. There was a choice of 145 seats in the National Council . The elections were made according to the majority vote , with the country divided into 49 national council constituencies of different sizes . The liberals (or radical liberals) were able to maintain their position as the strongest force, while the liberal center in particular suffered losses. The newly elected parliament met for the first time in the 13th legislative period on December 1, 1884.
Election campaign
The liberals emerged from the elections as clear winners in 1881 and once again held an absolute majority. But the conservative forces began to use the right to referendums , which they had originally opposed, as an effective weapon against liberal supremacy. All seven referendum votes over the next three years were unsuccessful. In particular, the «Schulvogt» draft of 1882 (a first step towards standardizing the school system across Switzerland was planned) caused a stir. Three Catholic-Conservative National Councilors wanted to use the momentum and submitted a motion in June 1884 in which they called for an amendment to the federal constitution in five points. In particular, the possibility of a partial revision should be created. It was the first time ever that the conservatives didn't just react, but actively advocated innovations. The new revision question dominated the election campaign from then on.
A contradiction began to emerge within the conservative camp: while moderate Catholics around Josef Zemp from Lucerne sought a reconciliation with the liberals, parts of the reformed conservatives became radicalized, especially in the canton of Bern the new "Bernese People's Party" led by Ulrich Dürrenmatt . With a flood of candidates, she tried to force all 26 Bernese liberals out of office. However, collaboration with other conservative groups only came about occasionally. The momentum of the referendum votes could not be transferred to the elections, in the end the Reformed Conservatives in the canton of Bern were left without a single seat. The Catholic Conservatives, which apart from the parliamentary faction founded in 1882, also had no nationwide organization, were only able to achieve a few of their electoral goals. Since the death of Alfred Escher, the liberal center has lacked an undisputed leader, which was reflected in poor election results.
During the 12th legislative period there were 19 substitute elections in 15 electoral districts due to vacancies, with only marginal shifts in seats. In 1881 there were a total of 60 ballots (the same number as three years earlier). In 39 of 49 constituencies, the elections were decided after the first ballot. All incumbent federal councilors ran for a vote of compliments that was customary in the second half of the 19th century ; that is, they stood for election as national councilors in order to have the voters confirm their legitimacy as members of the state government. The subsequent elections that became necessary were completed on January 25, 1885, which completed the National Council.
Compared to 1881, the turnout was one percent higher due to the strong mobilization, the achieved value of 63.1% was the highest in the entire Majorz era, which lasted until 1919. As usual, the highest value was achieved in the canton of Schaffhausen , due to the mandatory voting there , 95.9% cast their votes in the ballot box. Participations of over 80% were otherwise only found in the cantons of Aargau and Appenzell Ausserrhoden . The least interest was shown by voters in the canton of Neuchâtel , where only 25.1% went to the polls. Despite losing their seat, the liberals remained clearly the strongest force and were able to maintain their absolute majority. The Democrats gained the most (+5 seats), mainly at the expense of the liberal center.
Result of the National Council elections
Overall result
Of the 640,262 male eligible voters, 404,028 took part in the elections, which corresponds to a turnout of 63.1%.
The 145 seats in the National Council were distributed as follows:
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Note: An assignment of candidates to parties and political groups is only possible to a limited extent. In line with the political reality of the 19th century, one can rather speak of party currents or directions, the boundaries of which are partly fluid. The party names used are therefore an ideological assessment.
Results in the cantons
The table below shows the distribution of seats won by cantons.
| Canton | seats total |
electoral circles |
participating pation |
FL | KK | LM | DL | HE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aargau
|
10 | 3 | 86.0% | 5 | 2 | −1 | 3 | +1 | |||||
 Appenzell Ausserrhoden
|
3 | 1 | 75.5% | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
 Appenzell Innerrhoden
|
1 | 1 | 80.1% | 1 | |||||||||
 Basel-Country
|
3 | 1 | 36.8% | 3 | |||||||||
 Basel city
|
3 | 1 | 61.2% | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
 Bern
|
27 | 6th | 59.5% | 27 | +2 | - | −1 | - | −1 | ||||
 Freiburg
|
6th | 3 | 66.4% | - | −2 | 6th | +2 | ||||||
 Geneva
|
5 | 1 | 62.9% | 3 | −1 | 2 | +1 | ||||||
 Glarus
|
2 | 1 | 47.7% | - | −1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | |||||
 Grisons
|
5 | 3 | 70.3% | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 | - | −1 | ||||
 Lucerne
|
7th | 4th | 69.8% | 2 | 5 | ||||||||
 Neuchâtel
|
5 | 1 | 25.1% | 5 | |||||||||
 Nidwalden
|
1 | 1 | 46.7% | 1 | |||||||||
 Obwalden
|
1 | 1 | 38.2% | 1 | |||||||||
 Schaffhausen
|
2 | 1 | 95.9% | 1 | −1 | 1 | +1 | ||||||
 Schwyz
|
3 | 1 | 29.6% | 3 | |||||||||
 Solothurn
|
4th | 1 | 75.5% | 4th | |||||||||
 St. Gallen
|
10 | 3 | 76.0% | 1 | +1 | 5 | +1 | - | −4 | 3 | +2 | 1 | |
 Ticino
|
7th | 2 | 51.6% | 2 | 5 | ||||||||
 Thurgau
|
5 | 1 | 74.8% | 4th | +1 | 1 | - | −1 | |||||
 Uri
|
1 | 1 | 64.1% | 1 | |||||||||
 Vaud
|
12 | 3 | 55.0% | 12 | |||||||||
 Valais
|
5 | 3 | 65.7% | 5 | |||||||||
 train
|
1 | 1 | 56.5% | 1 | |||||||||
 Zurich
|
16 | 4th | 65.6% | 6th | −2 | 10 | +2 | ||||||
| Switzerland | 145 | 49 | 63.1% | 74 | −1 | 37 | +2 | 18th | −4 | 15th | +5 | 1 | −2 |
Council of States
The members of the Council of States were only able to choose who were eligible to vote in eight cantons: in the cantons of Graubünden , Solothurn , Thurgau , Zug and Zurich at the ballot box, in the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden , Nidwalden and Obwalden at the Landsgemeinde . In all other cantons, the election was made indirectly by the respective cantonal parliaments .
literature
- Erich Gruner : The elections to the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 . tape 1 , first part. Francke Verlag, Bern 1978, ISBN 3-7720-1442-9 .
- Erich Gruner: The elections to the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 . tape 1 , second part. Francke Verlag, Bern 1978, ISBN 3-7720-1443-7 .
- Erich Gruner: The elections to the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 . tape 2 . Francke Verlag, Bern 1978, ISBN 3-7720-1444-5 (notes).
- Erich Gruner: The elections to the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 . tape 3 . Francke Verlag, Bern 1978, ISBN 3-7720-1445-3 (tables, graphics, maps).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919, Volume 1, second part, pp. 703-706.
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919, Volume 1, second part, pp. 709-710.
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 , Volume 3, p. 369.
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 , Volume 1, second part, p. 712.
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 , Volume 3, p. 485.
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 , Volume 3, pp. 185-199
- ↑ Gruner: The elections in the Swiss National Council 1848-1919 , Volume 3, p. 357.
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