National Council (Switzerland)

National Council French: Conseil national German: Nationalrat Italian: Consiglio nazionale Romansh: Cussegl naziunal
52nd National Council
Type
Type	bicameral
Leadership
President	Maja Riniker, FDP/PLR since 2 December 2024
First Vice President	Pierre-André Page, SVP/UDC since 2 December 2024
Second Vice President	Katja Christ, GLP/VLP since 2 December 2024
Structure
Seats	200
Political groups	SVP/UDC (62)   SP/PS (41)   The Centre (29)   FDP/PLR (28)   GPS/PES (23)   GLP/PVL (10)   MCG (2)   EVP/PEV (2)   EDU/UDF (2)   Ticino League (1)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation (Hagenbach-Bischoff system)
First election	1–27 October 1848
Last election	22 October 2023
Next election	October 2027
Meeting place
Federal Palace, Bern
Website
www.parlament.ch/en/organe/national-council

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The National Council (German: Nationalrat; French: Conseil national; Italian: Consiglio nazionale; Romansh: Cussegl naziunal) is a house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, representing the people. The other house, Council of States, represents the states, preventing more populous parts of the country overpowering the rest. As the powers of the houses are the same, it is sometimes called perfect bicameralism^[1] Both houses meet in the Federal Palace of Switzerland in Bern.^[2]

The national council comprises 200 persons. Adult citizens elect the council's members, who are called National Councillors, for four year terms. These members are apportioned to the Swiss cantons in proportion to their population.^[1]