The Grand Council of Geneva (french: Grand Conseil de Genève) is the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually know ...

of the canton of

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Geneva, styled as a 'Republic and Canton', has a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

legislature. The Grand Council was established in its present form and with 100 seats in 1842, with members elected every four years. Its oldest ancestor is the

Council of Two Hundred The Councils of Two Hundred (; ) were the legislative authorities in four Swiss cities ( Zürich, Bern, Fribourg, Basel), as well as in the independent Republic of Geneva The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva (french ...

(with 200 seats), founded in 1526."Histoire de Genève"
, Helvetia-genevensis Society. Members of the canton's executive, the Conseil d'Etat, are elected a month later. There is a 7% threshold that political parties wishing to be represented on the Grand Council must overcome. Seven parties did so at the most recent election, held on 15 April 2018. In 2018, on a lower turnout compared with 2013,

right-wing populists Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establi ...

lost previous gains, with the traditionally dominant parties, the Liberals, the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promot ...

and the Greens, increasing their votes.

Secretary

The office of the secretary of the Grand Council of Geneva is headed by the ''sautier''; originally, the role of the sautier was military, and he was the head of the watch. Overtime, the function changed and the sautier became the permanent secretary of the Grand Council. One of his duties include the regular observation of the Geneva official chestnut tree, and the recording of the date of the opening of the first leaf on an official register. This event is then announced to the press and to the general public, indicating the beginning of the Spring.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Council Of Geneva 1842 establishments in Europe Cantonal legislatures of Switzerland Politics of the canton of Geneva