As part of the 2025 edition of Geneva Democracy Week, members of the Graduate Institute and International Geneva community took part in a special visit and workshop titled “How Does Swiss Democracy Work?”, organized by the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in collaboration with the Chancellery of State of Geneva.

Held on 7 October at the Hôtel-de-Ville, the historic seat of the Republic and Canton of Geneva’s political institutions, the event offered participants a rare opportunity to explore Swiss democracy from within its institutional home.

The session was introduced by Marion Bordier Büschi, Head of Protocol at the Chancellery of State, and featured an interactive workshop with Marceau Schroeter from the Chancellery of State and author of Au cœur de la démocratie suisse.

Participants visited the Alabama Room, a symbolic site of international diplomacy where the first Geneva Convention was signed in 1864. The visit continued with a workshop led by Mr. Schroeter, who guided attendees through the processes that shape Swiss democracy, from citizen initiatives to referendums. The event concluded with a visit to the Conseil d’État’s meeting room, offering a close look at where cantonal executive decisions are made.

This activity captured the essence of Geneva Democracy Week by connecting local democratic institutions with the international community and providing an engaging space to reflect on the practice of democracy in Switzerland today.