[3] The concordance system is based on two principles One of the reasons explaining the system, which also exists at the cantonal level, is the perceived "threat" of direct democracy, since a sizeable opposition could in principle "paralyse" the government by submitting too many referendum proposals.
The fact that the members of the government must reach common decisions and stand by them is referred to as the principle of collegiality (German Kollegialitätsprinzip), grounded in the Federal Constitution (art.
Technically, Switzerland has always had the same stable and consensual government, in contrast to most western democracies, which see regular alternance between left and right major parties.
The concordance system started in 1891 with the election of Josef Zemp, a Christian Conservative, to the Federal Council, which had previously been composed entirely of Free Democrats.
The fact that this led to a reduced opposition from outside the government has since been referred to by some Swiss political scientists[5] as "The Zemp effect".