Concordance system - Definition

In Swiss politics, "concordance system" (German Konkordanzsystem) refers to the presence of all of the four major parties in the Federal Council, a system that was originally forced on the parliament electing the council by the direct democracy of Switzerland, where a sizeable opposition could in principle paralyse the government. The term principle of collegiality (German Kollegialitätsprinzip) expresses the unwritten custom that members of the Federal Council forgo party politics in the interest of a cooperative spirit among the members of the executive. This principle has been strained, if not repeatedly violated, by Christoph Blocher in 2004, raising the question of a future return in Swiss politics to a system that involves a parliamentary opposition.

See also: Direct Democracy, Concord Principles