Draft:Popular Initiative: "Total Revision of the Constitution"
Swiss popular initiative proposing a total constitutional revision rejected in 1935
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The popular initiative "Total Revision of the Constitution" was a popular initiative in Switzerland, rejected by the people on September 08, 1935.
Submission declined on 7 April 2026 by Nighfidelity (talk).
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|  |
| Federal popular initiative |
|---|
| Total Revision of the Constitution |
| Filed on: September 05, 1934 |
| Submitted by: Ad hoc action committee |
| Counterproposal: no |
| Voted on: September 08, 1935 |
| Participation: 60.9 % |
| Result: rejected |
| By the people: no (by 72.3 %) |
Proposal
Under Article 120 of the Federal Constitution of Switzerland, the initiative called for a complete revision of the Constitution.
The full text of the initiative is available on the website of the Federal Chancellery.[1]
Procedure
Historical background
The request for a constitutional revision was submitted by a committee formed by various far-right fronts movements of the period. These included the National Front, the Young Swiss Conservatives, Landsgemeinschaft Das Aufgebot, the "New Switzerland" group, and the Lega Nazionale Ticinesi.
Signature collection and submission of the initiative
The collection of the required 50 000 signatures began in April 1934, although the exact date is unknown.
On September 05, the initiative was submitted to the Swiss Federal Chancellery, which declared it valid on November 08.[2]
Discussions and recommendations of the authorities
Neither the Federal Assembly[3] nor the Federal Council[4] issued a voting recommendation on this initiative.
Unlike previous initiatives, it did not propose a partial amendment to the Constitution but instead called for a complete revision. This marked the first use of this constitutional mechanism since 1848. Earlier attempts in 1851 and 1865–1866 had failed to collect the required number of signatures.[5]
Vote
The initiative was submitted to a popular vote on September 08, 1935, and was rejected by 72.3% of valid votes cast[6]. A cantonal vote was not required.
Effects
The clear rejection of this initiative has been attributed to the mobilization of left-wing parties alongside the Radicals, even as they were opposing the economic crisis initiative proposed by the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland.[7]
One month after the vote, supporters of Frontism participated for the only time in federal elections and won, on that occasion, two seats in the Federal Parliament.[8]
It was not until 2003 and the so-called "Spring Initiative" that another attempt was made to fully revise the Constitution. Like most previous efforts, however, this proposal failed to gather enough signatures to be submitted to a vote.[9]
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