Potential shift in Vaud canton capital from Lausanne to another city?
Switching Up the Game: A Proposal to Rotate Vaud's Capital Among Districts
Twenty-three Vaud deputies have stirred the pot, putting forth a proposal to shake up the canton's conventional establishment. This ambitious motion, directed towards the cantonal parliament, aims to amend the constitution's article stating Lausanne as the capital. Instead, the main municipality of each district, in alphabetical order, would take turns as the canton's capital, each reigning for a year.
This audacious multi-party proposal seeks to energize the canton by decentralizing power and bringing it closer to every region. If enacted, Lausanne's status as a capital would be reduced to a mere decade-long gig. Each annual transition of the capital would also offer an opportunity to host a grand celebration, according to the motion.
Sailing the Uphill Current: The Battle Ahead
In the face of reality, the chances of this motion sailing into law are as slim as a melting iceberg. The 23 signatories are a slightly less than a quarter of the 150 deputies in the Vaud parliament. To win the majority's approval is no easy feat, given that a dynamic capital might sound appealing on paper, but in practice it could spell a colossal administrative nightmare for the canton as a whole and each district individually.
The second significant obstacle would be persuading Vaud voters to embrace this unconventional proposition, which would require putting the proposal to a referendum.
The Role of a Cantonal Capital: More Than a Title
Be it Lausanne or any other municipal seat in Switzerland's 26 cantons, these cities play a crucial political and administrative role. Like Bern on the federal level, cantonal capitals serve as the headquarters of local parliaments, courts, and various government offices that oversee public entities and infrastructure. Imagine the administrative chaos that would ensue if this operational hub had to move from one municipality to another every year.
Is This Idea as Unprecedented as It Seems?
On the federal level of modern-day Switzerland, yes. However, history has a way of repeating itself in surprising ways. Before Bern became the epicenter of the federal government, the role rotated among several cities, much like the position of the country's president rotates among the seven members of the Federal Council.
According to the Swiss National Museum, the early Helvetic Republic bestowed the title on Aarau for a short stint of four months, but it soon proved inadequate. The capital was then moved to Lucerne, followed by Lausanne, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel, Bern, Zurich, and yet again to Lucerne. From 1815, this select group was narrowed down to just Bern, Zurich, and Lucerne, each for a two-year tenure. It remains unclear whether this historical precedent has influenced the Vaud deputies' decision to propose a similar model.
- In Vaud, the 23 signatories who proposed rotating the capital among districts face an uphill battle, as their numbers make up only slightly less than a quarter of the Vaud parliament, making it a challenging task to win the majority's approval.
- To become law, this unconventional proposition may need to be put to a referendum in order to gain the approval of Vaud voters.
- In Switzerland's 26 cantons, a cantonal capital such as Lausanne plays a significant role in politics and administration, serving as a hub for local parliaments, courts, and various government offices, making the prospect of the capital moving every year potentially chaotic.
- While the proposal to rotate Vaud's capital may seem unprecedented at the federal level of modern-day Switzerland, it has actually been practiced before in the early days of the Helvetic Republic, albeit briefly and with mixed results.
