List of political parties in Switzerland

Switzerland
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Switzerland
Political positions of the Swiss political parties based on their referendum voting recommendations, 1985-90 and 2010-14

This is a list of political parties in Switzerland.

Switzerland has a multi-party system. Since 1959, the four largest parties have formed a coalition government, according to a "Zauberformel" or "magic formula". This arithmetic formula divides the seven cabinet seats among representatives of the four largest parties.[1]

Political parties in Switzerland

Federal and cantonal parliaments

For more detailed information on the political positions of some of the parties listed below, see here:[2]

The following parties are represented either in the Swiss Federal Assembly as of March 2016[3] or in cantonal parliaments (cantonal parliament seats as of April 2016[4]):

Party   Members in Political Position
Abbr. Name W Leader FC CS NC Cantons Members (Ideology)
SVP/UDC Swiss People's Party
Schweizerische Volkspartei

Union démocratique du centre

Unione Democratica di Centro

Partida Populara Svizra

 Albert Rösti 2 5 65 586 90,000 Right-wing, National conservatism, Economic liberalism
SPS/PSS Social Democratic Party
Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz

Parti socialiste suisse

Partito Socialista Svizzero

Partida Socialdemocrata de la Svizra

 Christian Levrat 2 11 43 456 35,000 Centre-left to Left-wing, Social democracy
FDP/PLR FDP.The Liberals
FDP.Die Liberalen

PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux

PLR.I Liberali

PLD.Ils Liberals

 Fulvio Pelli 2 11 33 550[lower-alpha 1] 130,000 Centre-right, Classical liberalism
CVP/PDC/PPD Christian Democratic People's Party
Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz

Parti Démocrate-Chrétien

Partito Popolare Democratic

Partida Cristiandemocratica

 Gerhard Pfister 1 13 27 444 100,000 Centrism, Christian democracy
BDP/PBD Conservative Democratic Party
Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz

Parti Bourgeois Démocratique Suisse

Partito Borghese Democratico Svizzero

Partida Burgais Democratica Svizra

 Hans Grunder 0 1 7 72 6,500 Centre-right, Conservative liberalism
GPS/PES Green Party
Grüne Partei der Schweiz

Les verts – Parti écologiste suisse

I Verdi – Partito ecologista svizzero

La Verda – Partida ecologica svizra

 Ueli Leuenberger 0 2 11 174 6,500 Left-wing, Green politics
GLP/PVL Green Liberal Party
Grünliberale Partei der Schweiz

Parti vert'libéral

Partito Verde-Liberale

Partida Verda-Liberala

 Martin Bäumle 0 2 7 83 2,700 Centrism, Green liberalism
EVP/PEV Evangelical People's Party
Evangelische Volkspartei der Schweiz

Parti Evangelique Suisse

Partito Evangelico Svizzero

Partida evangelica da la Svizra

 Heiner Studer 0 0 2 39 4,800 Centrism, Christian democracy
CSP/PCS Christian Social Party
Christlich-soziale Partei

Parti chrétien-social

Partito Cristiano Sociale

Partida cristiansociala de la Svizra

 Marius Achermann 0 0 1 15 1,500 Centre-left, Christian left
Lega Ticino League
Lega dei Ticinesi

Ligue des Tessinois

 Attilio Bignasca 0 0 2 22 1,500 Right-wing, Regionalism (TI)
EDU/UDF Federal Democratic Union
Eidgenössisch-Demokratische Union

Union Démocratique Fédérale

Unione Democratica Federale

Uniun democrata federala

 Hans Moser 0 0 0 20 3,000 Right-wing, Christian right
AL Alternative Left
Alternative Linke

La Gauche

La Sinistra

   0 0 0 10 2,000 Left-wing, Democratic socialism
MCG Geneva Citizens' Movement
Mouvement citoyens genevois
 Éric Stauffer 0 0 1 20 Right-wing, Regionalism (GE)
PdA/PST Swiss Party of Labour
Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz

Parti Suisse du Travail - Parti Ouvrier et Populaire

Partito Comunista

Partida svizra da la lavur

 Norberto Crivelli 0 0 1 13 Far-left, Communism
Total       7 46* 200 2609**  

Notes: ¹ Federal Council since 2009; ² Council of States, 2011; ³ National Council 2015; * Including one independent member of the Council of States (Thomas Minder); ** including independents

Minor parties

The following groups or parties are not represented at either the cantonal or national level (but may hold positions in municipal parliaments).

Abbr. Name W Leader Ideology Founded Popular vote[lower-alpha 2]
Sol solidaritéS
solidaritéS

Solidarität

   Left-wing, Anti-capitalism 1992 0.05% (2015)
SLB/MSL Social Liberal Movement
Sozial-Liberale Bewegung

Mouvement socio-libéral

Movimento social-liberale

 Samuel Schmid Centre-right, Social conservatism 2011 0.1% (2015)
SD/DS Swiss Democrats
Schweizer Demokraten

Démocrates Suisses

Democratici Svizzeri

Democrats Svizers

 Bernhard Hess Right-wing, National conservatism 0.1% (2015)
FPS/PSL Freedom Party
Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz

Parti suisse de la liberté

Partito svizzero della Libertà

Partida Svizra da la Libertad

 Peter Commarmot Right-wing, National liberalism 1984 n/a
HPS/PHS Swiss Humanist Party
Humanistische Partei der Schweiz

Parti Humaniste de la Suisse

Partito Umanista della Svizzera

 Daniel Horowitz Humanist Movement 1984 n/a
KVP Catholic People's Party
Katholische Volkspartei

Parti populaire catholique

Partito popolare Cattoliche

 Lukas Brühwiler-Frésey Catholic social teaching 1994 n/a
PNOS Swiss Nationalist Party
Partei National Orientierter Schweizer

Parti nationaliste suisse

Svizzero Partito Nazionalista

 Dominic Lüthard Far-right, Ethnic nationalism 2000 0.05%
PPS Pirate Party
Piratenpartei Schweiz

Parti Pirate Suisse

Partito Pirata Svizzera

Partida da Pirats Svizra

 Denis Simonet Freedom of Information, Information privacy 2009 0.48%
TPS/PSpA Tierpartei Schweiz Thomas Märki Animal rights 2010 0.15%
parteifrei.ch Lukas Harder Voluntary association of independent politicians formed for the 2011 elections; opposing party politics 2011 0.19%
MontagnaViva Germano Mattei Regionalism (Alpine Ticino) 2011 0.08%
Alpenparlament Alternative medicine 2011 0.06%
Konfessionslose.ch Separation of church and state 2011 0.05%
The Swiss Independence Party up!
Unabhängigkeitspartei up!
up! Switzerland		 Simon Scherrer Libertarianism 2014 n/a
Volksaktion right-wing populism (Basel-Stadt) 2002 0.03%
La gauche combative Communism (Geneva) 2002 0.03%
Les Rauraques Separatism (Bernese Jura) 2011 0.03%

Historical parties

Name Ideology Active Continued as
Communist Party of Switzerland Communism 1921–1940 Partei der Arbeit
Communist Party of Switzerland/Marxist–Leninists Communism 1969–1987 Libertarian Socialist Party
Communist Party Opposition Communism 1930–1935 Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
Democratic Party Direct democracy 1860–1971 Swiss People's Party
Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB) Conservatism, Agrarianism 1936–1971 Swiss People's Party
Eidgenössische Sammlung Fascism/nationalism 1940–1943
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (FDP/PRD/PLR) Classical liberalism, Radicalism 1894–2009 FDP.The Liberals
Liberal Party of Switzerland (LPS/PLS) Classical liberalism 1913–2009 FDP.The Liberals
National Front Fascism/nationalism 1930s Eidgenössische Sammlung
National Movement of Switzerland (NBS) Nazism 1940–1941
National Union Fascism/nationalism 1932–1940
Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH) Communism 1969–1993
Ring of Independents (LdU) Centrism 1936–1999
Volkspartei der Schweiz (VPS) Neo-Nazism 1950s

Names in the national languages

Abbr. Party German name French Italian Romansh
CVP/PDC Christian Democratic People's Party Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP Parti Démocrate-Chrétien Suisse or PDC Partito Popolare Democratico or PPD Partida Cristian-democratica de la Svizra or PCD
FDP/PRD Free Democratic Party Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP Parti radical-démocratique suisse or PRD Partito Liberale Radicale or PLR Partida liberaldemocrata de la Svizra or PLD
SPS/PSS Social Democratic Party Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS
SVP/UDC Swiss People's Party Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP Union Démocratique du Centre or UDC Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC Partida Populara Svizra or PPS
CSP/PCS Christian Social Party Christlich-soziale Partei or CSP Parti chrétien-social or PCS Partito Cristiano Sociale or PCS Partida cristiansociala de la Svizra or PCS
BDP/PBD Conservative Democratic Party Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz or BDP Parti bourgeois démocratique Suisse or PBD Partito borghese democratico Svizzera or PBD Partida burgais democratica Svizra or PBD
EVP/PEV Evangelical People's Party Evangelische Volkspartei der Schweiz or EVP Parti Evangelique Suisse or PEV Partito Evangelico or PE Partida Evangelica Svizra or PEV
FPS/PSL Freedom Party Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz or FPS Parti Suisse de la Liberté or PSL Partito svizzero della Libertà or PSL Partida Svizra da la Libertad or PSL
GPS/PES Green Party Grüne Partei der Schweiz or Grüne Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda
LPS/PLS Liberal Party Liberale Partei der Schweiz or LPS Parti libéral suisse or PLS Partito Liberale Svizzero or PLS Partida liberal-conservativa Svizra or PLC
AL Alternative Left Alternative Linke or AL La Gauche or LG La Sinistra or LS
SD/DS Swiss Democrats Schweizer Demokraten or SD Démocrates Suisses or DS Democratici Svizzeri or DS Democrats Svizzers or DS
Lega Ticino League Lega dei Ticinesi
EDU/UDF Federal Democratic Union Eidgenössisch-Demokratische Union or EDU Union Démocratique Fédérale or UDF Unione Democratica Federale or UDF Uniun democrata federala or UDF
PdA/PST Swiss Party of Labour Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz or PdA Parti suisse du travail - Parti Ouvrier et Populaire or PST-POP Partito Comunista or PC Partida svizra da la lavur or PSdL

Sources: The Swiss Federal Chancellery

Relative importance

At the federal level

Overall

Number of elected representatives by party at the federal, cantonal and communal levels in 2014 (governmental parties)[5]
Party Number of elected representatives at the federal, cantonal and communal levels
FDP.The Liberals
2,011
Social Democratic Party
1,863
Swiss People's Party
1,511
Christian Democratic Party
1,205
Conservative Democratic Party
173

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Including seats held by the Liberal party of Switzerland which merged into FDP in 2009, but still retains separate party structure in some cantons
  2. ↑ Swiss federal election, 2011, where applicable

References

  1. ↑ Pierre Cormon, Swiss Politics for Complete Beginners, Editions Slatkine, 2014, ISBN 978-2-8321-0607-5, p. 31-32 Archived November 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "Swiss Political Parties Reveal Their Colours". Swissinfo. September 11, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ Bundesamt für Statistik. "Nationalratswahlen: Übersicht Schweiz". Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  4. ↑ Mandatsverteilung Kantonale Parlamentswahlen 1984–2013 Statistic Schweiz Retrieved April 5, 2016 (German)
  5. ↑ (French) Kevin Gertsch and Chantal Tauxe, "L'UDC n'est pas le premier parti de Suisse", L'Hebdo, 24 December 2014, pages 62-63.

Bibliography

External links

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