The measure to first grant the right of initiative to the vote champion of the largest list also gets a positive evaluation. Seven out of the ten party leaders questioned that the right of initiative ensures that the voice of the voter becomes “more visible and effective” in the coalition formation.
But in practice the scheme sometimes provides extra complexity. In particular, the system in which the right of initiative always switches to the next largest list after a fixed period leads to the coalition negotiations being able to drag on unnecessarily long. One in three party leaders also find the time frame of fourteen days too short, especially in large cities and municipalities.
