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After World War II, Swiss authorities considered the construction of a nuclear bomb. Leading nuclear physicists at the Federal Institute of Technology such as Paul Scherrer made this a realistic possibility, and in 1962 the population clearly voted in favour of the bomb. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 was seen as a valid alternative, however, and the bomb was never built.
From 1959, the Federal Council, appointed by the parliament, is composed of members of the four major parties, the Protestant Free Democrats, the Catholic Christian Democrats, the left-wing Social Democrats and the right-wing People's Party, essentially creating a system without a sizeable parliamentary opposition (see concordance system), reflecting the powerful position of an opposition in a Direct Democracy.
In 1963, Switzerland joined the Council of Europe. Women were granted the right to vote in the last remaining canton only in 1971, and then by a judicial decision against the will of the resisting canton. In 1979, parts of the canton of Berne attained independence while remaining in the Federation, thus forming the new canton of Jura.
Switzerland's role in many United Nations and international organizations helped to mitigate the country's concern for neutrality. In 2002, following extensive and intensive campaigning by government and media but against considerable nationalistic elements, Switzerland was officially ratified as a member of the United Nations — the only country joining after agreement by a popular vote.
Switzerland is not a member state of the EU, but has been (together with Liechtenstein) surrounded by EU territory since the joining of Austria in 1995.
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