Gemeindeversammlung
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8 Dezember 2021 - Bäretswil
Tonight was my first experience with Swiss democracy: the local Gemeindeversammlung of Bäretswil. The direct democracy of the Swiss is something interesting to behold and the evening felt more like a shareholder's meeting than a political event. Of course the attendance skewed toward the older set as one would expect from the event, but perhaps the area also skews that way demographically. Attendees were handed a program upon entering with the items to be voted on including the full texts of the laws. Nonvoters were asked to move to the front row, and it seems that everyone else was just taken at their word. But maybe they all know eachother and would have been suspicious of strange people voting.
Firstup was the budget for the Gemeinde which was presented in great length and detail. When no one rose to comment on it, I thought that maybe this Swiss democracy thing was overrated and the Versammlung merely a rubber stamp. But then a 3rd of the people voted against the budget, which included some tax increases. Not just a rubber stamp.
This was followed up by a "total revision" of the police code. It's rather amazing all the things that fall under the purview of the Gemeinde - everything from the drinking age to traffic laws to what fireworks are allowed on holidays. The government presented its case and then a lively debate ensued. Members of the audience presented amendments to the revised law and then arguments were heard for and against them. And the audience members had slides too! Several of these amendments passed by a wide margin and then the new police code was also voted in. After this was a less contentious discussion of a new water law which also passed. Maybe the government still gets most of what it wants in the end, but the citizenry surely feels engaged.
After the laws came the people. Switzerland began as the Eidgenossenshaft, that is, a group of oathtakers bound by an oath to defend eachother. At the time is was defending eachother from the Hapsburgs, but after the Nazis there hasn't been too much to defend the country from. Still they have universal male military service and the men take the guns home after they learn to use them. And they vote on anyone who wants to join the group! Iwona was the first up to be voted on at the Gemeindeversammlung and no one stood up to denounce her. In fact they voted her in unanimously and then burst into applause. The other three potential Swiss citizens were also voted in and then there were a series of announcements before the meeting adjourned. Afterward it seemed like half the town came to congratulate Iwona, who was just beaming with excitement.
They even had cookies with the town crest afterward!
