Who is the President of Switzerland?

[mbakuthesupreme]

Switzerland has 7 Presidents as Head of State. Yes. Switzerland doesn’t have a President or Prime Minister acting as a Head of State nor a Head of Government like in USA, UK, Nigeria, or Zimbabwe.

The country is managed by a seven-members Council which is considered as a collective Head of State.

One member of the council is considered the President of the Confederation (whom you can figuratively call President of Switzerland) but he/she is just a «primus inter pares», which means ”first among equals” 7 members of the Federal Council.

He acts in that role for 1 year, and the duty of presidency rotates among the members in order of seniority, then the previous year’s Vice President becomes President.

The President of the Confederation is not considered the head of State, rather the entire Federal Council is considered a collective Head of State. The President main role is to assume special representational duties. He has no powers above the other Councilors and continues to head his or her department.

”Because the Swiss have no single Head of State, the country also carries out no state visits. When traveling abroad, the President does so only as an ordinary Minister of a government Department.

Visiting heads of state are received by the seven members of the Federal Council together, rather than by the President of the Confederation. Treaties are signed on behalf of the full Council, with all Federal Council members signing le5ers of credence and other documents of the kind.” – Wikipedia

Why is this a good model of governance for Africa?
Switzerland is a multicultural country with 4 different ethnics groups: Germanic, French, Italian, and Rhaeto- Romansh (65 % of the population is German; 18 % French; 10 % Italian; 1 % was Romansh; and 6 % comprises of various other groups).

Tough Germans made 2/3 of the population, and that ethnic group could easily win all democratic elections based on the rule of the majority, the country adopted a federal model that in fact gives enough power to each ethnic group to manage their local affairs, speak and administrate in their language, and at the top executive level the collective nature of the federal council works well to reinforce the sense of community of destiny.
Here are the main advantages of the Swiss model:
[ul]
[li]It’s integrative and minimize ethnic conflicts in the context a multi-ethnic country[/li][li]Seven heads of state, all equal in opinion and power, make it difficult to take impulsive decision, and minimize the risk of dictatorship.[/li][li]It also minimizes corruption of leadership in the sense that any top level decision could not be taken without sound review by the Seven members of the council[/li][li]Additionally, as all seven members have to sign top level decisions to be valid, foreign pressure on one or two members of the council will not be enough to move a decision ahead.[/li][li]Finally, leadership based on showmanship and cult of personality is severely limited, and the leaders are more focused on delivering results in their department.[/li][/ul]
In The Prince, Machiavelli said, the weakest form of government for any nation is dictatorship or one-powerful-man at top, because it’s easy to conquer such nations. Once you succeed to cut the head, the whole falls into panic and concedes defeat. In the other hand, the most resilient nations are those with multiple, strong, and independence local princes. Even after the central government of such nations would fall, any conqueror would have to ba5le all individual princes to win over the country.

In 1976, in China, after Mao died, the Chinese Communist Party vowed never to let a single person, whatever his position or charisma, to have so much power to lead to the horrific deeds of the Chinese cultural revolution.

Deng Xiaoping, Mao’s successor, stripped himself of all the powers he has got as president, and transferred them to what was called the Eight Elders, which ultimately would accomplish the most transformational endeavor in human history which lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty in China, and reached a level of development Europe succeeded to accomplish only over 400 years.

For Chinese, from then state’s affairs should not be a matter of opinion, intuition, impulse, emotion, religion, personal preferences or lineage, but based on the scientific approach of ”seek truth from facts” in political and economic affairs.

/Mawuna Koutonin

[sani]

Switzerland is the largest money laundry in the world. They lie low. They are neutral, wanaplay side zote. muibe ama muearn honestly, pesa mtaweka kwao. They are smart.

[langatkipro]

@sani

Switzerland is the largest money laundry in the world. They lie low. They are neutral, wanaplay side zote. muibe ama muearn honestly, pesa mtaweka kwao. They are smart.

@mbakuthesupreme

Switzerland has 7 Presidents as Head of State. Yes. Switzerland doesn’t have a President or Prime Minister acting as a Head of State nor a Head of Government like in USA, UK, Nigeria, or Zimbabwe.

The country is managed by a seven-members Council which is considered as a collective Head of State.

One member of the council is considered the President of the Confederation (whom you can figuratively call President of Switzerland) but he/she is just a «primus inter pares», which means ”first among equals” 7 members of the Federal Council.

He acts in that role for 1 year, and the duty of presidency rotates among the members in order of seniority, then the previous year’s Vice President becomes President.

The President of the Confederation is not considered the head of State, rather the entire Federal Council is considered a collective Head of State. The President main role is to assume special representational duties. He has no powers above the other Councilors and continues to head his or her department.

”Because the Swiss have no single Head of State, the country also carries out no state visits. When traveling abroad, the President does so only as an ordinary Minister of a government Department.

Visiting heads of state are received by the seven members of the Federal Council together, rather than by the President of the Confederation. Treaties are signed on behalf of the full Council, with all Federal Council members signing le5ers of credence and other documents of the kind.” – Wikipedia

Why is this a good model of governance for Africa?
Switzerland is a multicultural country with 4 different ethnics groups: Germanic, French, Italian, and Rhaeto- Romansh (65 % of the population is German; 18 % French; 10 % Italian; 1 % was Romansh; and 6 % comprises of various other groups).

Tough Germans made 2/3 of the population, and that ethnic group could easily win all democratic elections based on the rule of the majority, the country adopted a federal model that in fact gives enough power to each ethnic group to manage their local affairs, speak and administrate in their language, and at the top executive level the collective nature of the federal council works well to reinforce the sense of community of destiny.
Here are the main advantages of the Swiss model:
[ul]
[li]It’s integrative and minimize ethnic conflicts in the context a multi-ethnic country[/li][li]Seven heads of state, all equal in opinion and power, make it difficult to take impulsive decision, and minimize the risk of dictatorship.[/li][li]It also minimizes corruption of leadership in the sense that any top level decision could not be taken without sound review by the Seven members of the council[/li][li]Additionally, as all seven members have to sign top level decisions to be valid, foreign pressure on one or two members of the council will not be enough to move a decision ahead.[/li][li]Finally, leadership based on showmanship and cult of personality is severely limited, and the leaders are more focused on delivering results in their department.[/li][/ul]
In The Prince, Machiavelli said, the weakest form of government for any nation is dictatorship or one-powerful-man at top, because it’s easy to conquer such nations. Once you succeed to cut the head, the whole falls into panic and concedes defeat. In the other hand, the most resilient nations are those with multiple, strong, and independence local princes. Even after the central government of such nations would fall, any conqueror would have to ba5le all individual princes to win over the country.

In 1976, in China, after Mao died, the Chinese Communist Party vowed never to let a single person, whatever his position or charisma, to have so much power to lead to the horrific deeds of the Chinese cultural revolution.

Deng Xiaoping, Mao’s successor, stripped himself of all the powers he has got as president, and transferred them to what was called the Eight Elders, which ultimately would accomplish the most transformational endeavor in human history which lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty in China, and reached a level of development Europe succeeded to accomplish only over 400 years.

For Chinese, from then state’s affairs should not be a matter of opinion, intuition, impulse, emotion, religion, personal preferences or lineage, but based on the scientific approach of ”seek truth from facts” in political and economic affairs.

/Mawuna Koutonin

This is it. I have always supported ethnic federalism because i believe its the best governance structure that can work for a multi ethnic community such as Kenya. Ethnic federalism is the only way to deal with corruption and ethnic tensions… When different ethnicities take charge of their own resources and economy

[mbakuthesupreme]

@langatkipro

This is it. I have always supported ethnic federalism because i believe its the best governance structure that can work for a multi ethnic community such as Kenya. Ethnic federalism is the only way to deal with corruption and ethnic tensions… When different ethnicities take charge of their own resources and economy

I think it works better in some countries and less in other… In Nigeria federalism will work very well but the difference between Nigeria and other African countries is that the tribes are very small compared to in Nigeria. In Kenya the biggest tribe is Kikuyu whom make less then 10 million people while in Nigeria the Housa make 70 million, and Igbo and Yoruba make 40+ million each. And the tribes in Nigeria are better at being independent than other smaller tribes in Africa, like Nigerians(Igbos…) are probably some of the most entrepreneural people in Africa. Its hard to implement federalism in countries like Tanzania, or Kenya where the people are heavily dependent on the central government.

[mentor]

Whichever model , we have more important problems like idiocy in the general populace, general laziness in the nation, discipline, ethics, fucking the environment, religion…
Any model that can fix all the above is good for Kenya.!!

[Brayo44ki]

[COLOR=rgb(40, 50, 78)]Break down that presidency, it’s too powerful and is often occupied by short sighted bullies

[Micymas]

Switzerland is a place of debauchery and money hiding. They have billions of dollars and valuable stuffed in big bank vaults where the ony way to gain entry is physical access and there is no electronic access. One day when world war 3 breaks out, the person who quickly and wisely take over that small pile of gold and secrets will rule the world for 1000 years. Even hitler and all his bluster knew it was best to stay the fuck away from that wretched place or risk turning the world into a shit sewer.

[Mwanakijiji]

@mbakuthesupreme

I think it works better in some countries and less in other… In Nigeria federalism will work very well but the difference between Nigeria and other African countries is that the tribes are very small compared to in Nigeria. In Kenya the biggest tribe is Kikuyu whom make less then 10 million people while in Nigeria the Housa make 70 million, and Igbo and Yoruba make 40+ million each. And the tribes in Nigeria are better at being independent than other smaller tribes in Africa, like Nigerians(Igbos…) are probably some of the most entrepreneural people in Africa. Its hard to implement federalism in countries like Tanzania, or Kenya where the people are heavily dependent on the central government.

No we are not dependent on the central government the government is useless and people obtain most services elsewhere

[mbakuthesupreme]

@Mwanakijiji

No we are not dependent on the central government the government is useless and people obtain most services elsewhere

By that i mean most are independent for development from central government… All over Africa you can go and see people complaining because they dont have this and that… But true reality is alot of that stuff is brought from the private sector because entrepreneurs see profit in it.

[Lemah]

The Pope

[revisionist]

@langatkipro

This is it. I have always supported ethnic federalism because i believe its the best governance structure that can work for a multi ethnic community such as Kenya. Ethnic federalism is the only way to deal with corruption and ethnic tensions… When different ethnicities take charge of their own resources and economy

So tukue na 42 person council yet 80%of the population is determined by 10 tribes? Not sure this is feasible. In any case look at the population of Switzerland they are very different from us even in the concept of statehood. Sisi Kenya is a 50+ Yr old project. Bado iko na a way to go. And I am surprised that even the advanced mzungus do not trust each other. Such that the only way to govern themselves in this case is nusu mkate arrangement:D:D… I find it curious that Democracy is not a silver bullet for planetary ills yet if one does not abide by it one is ostracised globally… Hehehehe… The double. Speak is shocking to say the least. But such is life

[Mwanakijiji]

@revisionist

So tukue na 42 person council yet 80%of the population is determined by 10 tribes? Not sure this is feasible. In any case look at the population of Switzerland they are very different from us even in the concept of statehood. Sisi Kenya is a 50+ Yr old project. Bado iko na a way to go. And I am surprised that even the advanced mzungus do not trust each other. Such that the only way to govern themselves in this case is nusu mkate arrangement:D:D… I find it curious that Democracy is not a silver bullet for planetary ills yet if one does not abide by it one is ostracised globally… Hehehehe… The double. Speak is shocking to say the least. But such is life

they have a democracy they vote for their leaders.

[revisionist]

@Mwanakijiji

they have a democracy they vote for their leaders.

In a democracy. Power is wielded by the majority. Universal suffrage. But here it’s not quite like that in my limited understanding. If the Germans are 65% of the population why do the rest imagine that the Germans will not vote in anyone else except a German? Does that mean hata kwao hii maneno ni ukabila na sio venye wao husema ati policies? I find that very curious.

[Mwanakijiji]

@revisionist

In a democracy. Power is wielded by the majority. Universal suffrage. But here it’s not quite like that in my limited understanding. If the Germans are 65% of the population why do the rest imagine that the Germans will not vote in anyone else except a German? Does that mean hata kwao hii maneno ni ukabila na sio venye wao husema ati policies? I find that very curious.

They are trying to encourage unity. If the Germans vote for Germans then the rest will leave and form their own country. Even Kenya the grand coalition government and the handshake are the only things that are keeping the country together other tribes would have left

[revisionist]

L

@Mwanakijiji

They are trying to encourage unity. If the Germans vote for Germans then the rest will leave and form their own country. Even Kenya the grand coalition government and the handshake are the only things that are keeping the country together other tribes would have left

Trying to encourage unity? A 1st world country that has existed in this form from 1848 and in various forms of federation for 700yrs? Kwani hii unity huchukua how long kumarinate?
Tribalism is not an African problem/creation.

Ati left. Left and gone where? The handshake will fail at some point. Inevitably. So Luo Nyanza will secede? Smh… Wacha jokes. Read about what it takes to form a new country. Hehehehe. Only 5 countries are sovereign on this planet. Kenya is not one of them. Meaning our date is determined elsewhere not in Nairobi.

But you have skillfully dodged the question. Are they admitting that tribe is more important than policies? We are told Policies trump tribe. How come hawa wazungu wameshindwa… Done thing is not true about democracy

[Mwanakijiji]

@revisionist

L

Trying to encourage unity? A 1st world country that has existed in this form from 1848 and in various forms of federation for 700yrs? Kwani hii unity huchukua how long kumarinate?
Tribalism is not an African problem/creation.

Ati left. Left and gone where? The handshake will fail at some point. Inevitably. So Luo Nyanza will secede? Smh… Wacha jokes. Read about what it takes to form a new country. Hehehehe. Only 5 countries are sovereign on this planet. Kenya is not one of them. Meaning our date is determined elsewhere not in Nairobi.

But you have skillfully dodged the question. Are they admitting that tribe is more important than policies? We are told Policies trump tribe. How come hawa wazungu wameshindwa… Done thing is not true about democracy

Tribalism in Africa is different from Europe because we did not form our countries.
Democracy has different forms and recognizing the diversity of the population is part of a democracy. In US the states have a lot of power you would say that the governors act as presidents to most people. the only difference is the swiss have decided to recognize the diversity at a national level and not only at a state and local level.
Luo Nyanza loves Kenya more than other parts of Kenya in fact a part from Kikuyus, Luos have done the most to ensure Kenya remains so if they left other parts which have never liked Kenya would leave quickly no matter who they voted for

[revisionist]

@Mwanakijiji

Tribalism in Africa is different from Europe because we did not form our countries.
Democracy has different forms and recognizing the diversity of the population is part of a democracy. In US the states have a lot of power you would say that the governors act as presidents to most people. the only difference is the swiss have decided to recognize the diversity at a national level and not only at a state and local level.
Luo Nyanza loves Kenya more than other parts of Kenya in fact a part from Kikuyus, Luos have done the most to ensure Kenya remains so if they left other parts which have never liked Kenya would leave quickly no matter who they voted for

I only see Zoomalis wanting to leave. The coast guys are usually joking.

[Mwanakijiji]

@revisionist

I only see Zoomalis wanting to leave. The coast guys are usually joking.

Am from there. Nobody is joking