At stake in this Referendum:

• This referendum asks voters to approve the extension of the 1999 Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons to 10 new member states of the European Union.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Samuel SCHMID *
• Head of Government: President Samuel SCHMID
• Assembly: Switzerland has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung, Assemblée Fédérale) consisting of the Council of States (Standerat, Conseil des Etats, or Consiglio degli Stati) with 46 seats* and the National Council (Nationalrat, Conseil National, or Consiglio Nazionale) with 200 seats.

* President of the Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports

* The Council of States, consists of 46 members, two elected from each of 20 cantons and one from each of the six half-cantons, according to cantonal procedure.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• This referendum asks voters to approve the extension of the 1999 Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons to 10 new member states of the European Union. This referendum asks voters whether Switzerland should extend the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons signed in 1999 with the European Union (EU) to the 10 countries that joined the EU on May 1, 2004. The provisions include a transitional system providing for gradual and controlled opening of the Swiss labor market to workers from the new member states as well as a revision of the flanking measures on wages and social dumping.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 7,489,370 (July 2005 est.)
• Registered Voters: 4,798,073 (September 2005)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,796,878 (2005)

·         Is Switzerland a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (23 January 1987)

·         Has Switzerland ratified CEDAW: Yes (27 March 1997)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 50 (National Council); 11 (Council of States) following the 2003 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 3 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Switzerland a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Switzerland ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (15 April 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 1,115,567 (est.)