The Possibility of Lausanne Surrendering Its Position as the Canton of Vaud's Capital?
Rolling the Capital: A Fresh Spin for Vaud
In a bold move, a group of 23 Vaud deputies have proposed a motion to shake up the status quo by rotating the capital of their canton among its 10 districts. This shift aims to breathe new life into the canton by decentralizing power and fostering engagement across all regions.
In the proposed plan, each district would get a turn as the capital, meticulously selected based on alphabetical order, and would hold this title for a year. Lausanne, the current capital, would only resume its role every decade. To top it off, each district hosting the capital would have the opportunity to host a grand festival, providing a celebration for the residents.
However, is this motion more than just a pipedream? Alas, realistically speaking, it faces steep obstacles.
The deputies find themselves in the minority, with 150 deputies in the Vaud parliament representing the 10 districts. Gaining approval from the majority would be a daunting task. Furthermore, the practical implications of such a proposal would create an administrative burden for both the canton and each district.
Should the motion manage to garner support and make it to a referendum, convincing the Vaud voters to embrace this unconventional idea would be another hurdle to overcome.
So, what exactly does a cantonal capital do? Traditionally, the capitals of each canton, like Lausanne and others, perform political and administrative duties for their respective populations. Similar to Bern at the federal level, they serve as the seats of local parliaments, courts, and various government offices that oversee public entities and infrastructure in their regions.
Picture if you will, shifting this intricate machinery from one municipality to another every year, a notion that, if realized, would present a substantial administrative challenge.
But could this concept be more familiar than we think? There may be a hint of inspiration from history in the motion put forth by Vaud deputies. Back in the day, Switzerland did not have a single, traditional capital; the federal authorities mostly resided in Bern. However, the role of capital rotated among several cities, following a pattern reminiscent of the rotation of Switzerland's federal presidency among the members of the Federal Council.
In the early days of the Helvetic Republic, the honor of serving as the capital went to Aarau, but its small size made it an inadequate choice. The capital was then moved to Lucerne, followed by Lausanne, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel, Bern, Zurich, and once again to Lucerne. From 1815 onward, only Bern, Zurich, and Lucerne shared the title for two years each.
Whether this historical precedent played a role in sparking the idea of rotating the capital in Vaud is unclear.
Deputies, representing the 23 districts of Vaud, have proposed a motion to rotate the capital among these districts every year. Each district, if selected, would host the capital for a year, handling political and administrative duties. The proposed plan is a nod to Switzerland's past, where the federal authorities were not confined to a single capital, but rotated among several cities. However, the success of this motion hinges on overcoming obstacles, such as gaining majority support in the Vaud parliament and addressing practical administrative implications.
