List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

This is a list of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland. Each canton has a democratically elected cantonal legislature, as well as elected members of the Federal Assembly. The cantonal legislatures are elected for four years, except in Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva and Jura, which elect their legislatures for five years.

Valais

Ticino

Grisons

Geneva

Vaud

Neuchâtel

Jura

Bern

Thurgau

Zurich

Aargau

Lucerne

Solothurn

Basel-Land

Schaffhausen

Uri

Schwyz

Glarus

St. Gallen

AI

AR

Obwalden

Nidwalden

Zug

Fribourg

Basel-Stadt

France

Italy

Liecht.

Austria

Germany

Cantons shaded by the largest party in the cantonal parliament:

  The Centre (DM/LC)

  Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC)

  FDP.The Liberals (FDP/PLR)

  Social Democratic Party (SP/PS)

The largest legislature, in Zürich, has 180 members, whilst the smallest, in less-populous Appenzell Innerrhoden, has only 49 members. Appenzell Innerrhoden is also the only legislature that is non-partisan. All other legislatures operate party political systems. The Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) is the largest party in nine legislatures, The Centre (DM/LC) is the largest in eight, the FDP.The Liberals (FDP/PLR) is the largest in seven and the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) is the largest in one.

Two cantons, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, hold Landsgemeinden as their highest legislative body. Under this system, a form of direct democracy, all adult citizens may attend an annual general assembly, where they may vote on laws. A permanent legislature also sits more frequently, but sovereignty resides with the Landsgemeinden. For the purpose of this article, the permanent legislature is considered the cantonal legislature.

Terminology

The legislatures of the cantons have various names in different cantons and in the four official languages of Switzerland:

• Grand Council (German: Grosser Rat, French: Grand Conseil, Italian: Gran Consiglio, Romansh: Cussegl grond ) is the name in the cantons of Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Grisons, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Thurgau, Vaud and Valais. In German-speaking Switzerland, the members of the Grand Council are called Grand Councilor (Grossrat (m) or Grossrätin ()), except for Thurgau where they are called Cantonal Councilor (Kantonsrat/rätin). In French-speaking Switzerland, the title is Député (Member of Parliament).
• Cantonal Council (German: Kantonsrat) in the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Lucerne, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Zug and Zürich. The term arose in the 19th century; the older names were Grand Council: renamed in Solothurn 1840, in Zurich 1869, in Zug 1873, in Appenzell Ausserrhoden 1876, in Schaffhausen 2002, in St. Gallen 2003, in Lucerne 2008) and District Administrator (renaming in Schwyz 1833, in Obwalden 1867 ).
• State Council (German: Landrat) in the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Glarus, Nidwalden and Uri.
• Parliament (French: Parlement ) in the canton of Jura (since the canton was founded).

List

Canton			Legislature Official name(s)	Members	Largest party		Last election	Next election
	AG	Aargau	Grand Council Grosser Rat (German)	140		SVP (48)	2024	2028
	AR	Appenzell Ausserrhoden	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	65		FDP (22)	2023	2027
	AI	Appenzell Innerrhoden	Grand Council[Note 1] Grosser Rat (German)	49		Non-partisan	2023	2027
	BS	Basel-Stadt	Grand Council Grosser Rat (German)	100		SP (31)	2024	2028
	BL	Basel-Landschaft	Landrat (German)	90		SVP (21)	2023	2027
	BE	Bern	Grand Council Grosser Rat (German) Grand Conseil (French)	160		SVP (44)	2022	2026
	FR	Fribourg	Grand Council Grand Conseil (French) Grosser Rat (German)	110		DM (26)	2021	2026
	GE	Geneva	Grand Council Grand Conseil (French)	100		FDP (28)	2023	2028
	GL	Glarus	Landrat (German)[Note 1]	60		SVP (18)	2022	2026
	GR	Grisons	Grand Council Grosser Rat (German) Cusegl grond (Romansh) Gran Consiglio (Italian)	120		DM (34)	2022	2026
	JU	Jura	Parliament Parlement (French)	60		DM (15)	2020	2025
	LU	Lucerne	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	120		DM (34)	2023	2027
	NE	Neuchâtel	Grand Council Grand Conseil (French)	115		FDP (32)	2021	2025
	NW	Nidwalden	Landrat (German)	60		FDP (16)	2022	2026
	OW	Obwalden	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	55		DM (19)	2022	2026
	SH	Schaffhausen	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	60		SVP (21)	2024	2028
	SZ	Schwyz	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	100		SVP (38)	2024	2028
	SO	Solothurn	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	100		FDP (22)	2021	2025
	SG	St. Gallen	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	120		SVP (42)	2024	2028
	TG	Thurgau	Grand Council Grosser Rat (German)	130		SVP (42)	2024	2028
	TI	Ticino	Grand Council Gran Consiglio (Italian)	90		FDP (23)	2023	2027
	UR	Uri	Landrat (German)	64		DM (22)	2024	2028
	VS	Valais	Grand Council Grand Conseil (French) Grosser Rat (German)	130		DM (48)	2021	2025
	VD	Vaud	Grand Council Grand Conseil (French)	150		FDP (50)	2022	2027
	ZG	Zug	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	80		DM (21)	2022	2026
	ZH	Zürich	Cantonal Council Kantonsrat (German)	180		SVP (45)	2023	2027

See also

• List of cantonal executives of Switzerland

Notes

1. The ultimate legislative body is the annual Landsgemeinde.

External links

• "Kantonsparlamente". Federal Statistical Office (in German). Retrieved 3 November 2024.