List of political parties in Switzerland
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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
[edit]Federal and cantonal parliaments
[edit]The following parties are represented either in the Swiss Federal Assembly as of 2022 or in cantonal parliaments and executive councils as of 2021.[2] For their names in the four national languages of Switzerland, see #Names in the national languages below.
For more detailed information on the political positions of some of the parties listed below, see here:[3] For Swiss political party strength on the municipal level, see here:[4]
Minor parties
[edit]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[e] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PPS | Pirate Party | [1] | Denis Simonet | Pirate politics, liberalism | 2009 | 0.27% (2019) | |
SD/DS | Swiss Democrats | [2] | Bernhard Hess | Right-wing, national conservatism | 1961 | 0.13% (2019) | |
SLB/MSL | Social Liberal Movement | [3] | Samuel Schmid | Centre-right, social conservatism | 2011 | 0.1% (2015) | |
LP/PL | Libertarian Party | [4] | Simon Scherrer | Libertarianism | 2014 | 0.01% (2019) | |
FPS/PSL | Freedom Party | [5] | Peter Commarmot | Right-wing, national liberalism | 1984 | n/a | |
HPS/PHS | Swiss Humanist Party | [6] | Daniel Horowitz | Humanist Movement | 1984 | n/a | |
KVP | Catholic People's Party | [7] | Lukas Brühwiler-Frésey | Catholic social teaching | 1994 | n/a | |
TPS/PSpA | Tierpartei Schweiz | [8] | Thomas Märki | Animal rights | 2010 | 0.15% (2015) | |
Parteifrei | [9] | Lukas Harder | Voluntary association of independent politicians formed for the 2011 elections; opposing party politics | 2011 | 0.19% (2015) | ||
MontagnaViva | [10] | Germano Mattei | Regionalism (Alpine Ticino) | 2011 | 0.08% (2015) | ||
Alpenparlament | [11] | Alternative medicine | 2011 | 0.06% (2015) | |||
Konfessionslose | [12] | Separation of church and state | 2011 | 0.05% (2015) | |||
Volksaktion | [13] | Eric Weber | Right-wing populism (Basel-Stadt) | 2002 | 0.03% (2015) | ||
La gauche combative | [14] | Communism (Geneva) | 2002 | 0.03% (2015) | |||
Les Rauraques | [15] | Jura separatism (Bernese Jura) | 2011 | 0.03% (2015) |
Historical parties
[edit]Names in the national languages
[edit]Abbr. | Party | German | French | Italian | Romansh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SVP/UDC | Swiss People's Party | Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP) | Union démocratique du Centre (UDC) | Unione Democratica di Centro (UDC) | Partida populara Svizra (PPS) | |
SP/PS | Social Democratic Party | Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP) | Parti socialiste suisse (PS) | Partito Socialista Svizzero (PS) | Partida socialdemocratica da la Svizra (PS) | |
FDP/PRD | Free Democratic Party | Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP) | Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD) | Partito Liberale Radicale (PLR) | Partida liberaldemocrata da la Svizra (PLD) | |
Mitte/Centre | The Centre | Die Mitte (DM) | Le Centre (LC) | Alleanza del Centro (AdC) | Allianza dal Center (AdC) | |
GPS/PES | Green Party | Grüne Partei der Schweiz (Die Grünen) | Parti écologiste suisse (Les Verts) | Partito Ecologista Svizzero (I Verdi) | Partida ecologica svizra (Ils Verds) | |
CSP/PCS | Christian Social Party | Christlich-soziale Partei (CSP) | Parti chrétien-social (PCS) | Partito Cristiano Sociale (PCS) | Partida cristiansociala da la Svizra (PCS) | |
CVP/PDC | Christian Democratic People's Party | Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz (CVP) | Parti démocrate-chrétien suisse (PDC) | Partito Popolare Democratico (PPD) | Partida Cristian-democratica da la Svizra (PCD) | |
BDP/PBD | Conservative Democratic Party | Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz (BDP) | Parti bourgeois démocratique Suisse (PBD) | Partito borghese democratico Svizzera (PBD) | Partida burgais democratica Svizra (PBD) | |
EVP/PEV | Evangelical People's Party | Evangelische Volkspartei der Schweiz (EVP) | Parti évangelique suisse (PEV) | Partito Evangelico Svizzero (PE) | Partida evangelica svizra (PEV) | |
FPS/PSL | Freedom Party | Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz (FPS) | Parti suisse de la liberté (PSL) | Partito svizzero della Libertà (PSL) | Partida svizra da la libertad (PSL) | |
LPS/PLS | Liberal Party | Liberale Partei der Schweiz (LPS) | Parti libéral suisse (PLS) | Partito Liberale Svizzero (PLS) | Partida liberal-conservativa Svizra (PLC) | |
AL | Alternative Left | Alternative Linke (AL) | La Gauche (LG) | La Sinistra (LS) | Alternativa sanestra (AS) | |
SD/DS | Swiss Democrats | Schweizer Demokraten (SD) | Démocrates suisses (DS) | Democratici Svizzeri (DS) | Democrats svizers (DS) | |
Lega | Ticino League | Liga der Tessiner | Ligue des Tessinois | Lega dei Ticinesi | Liga dals Tessinais | |
EDU/UDF | Federal Democratic Union | Eidgenössisch-Demokratische Union (EDU) | Union démocratique fédérale (UDF) | Unione Democratica Federale (UDF) | Uniun democrata federala (UDF) | |
PdA/PST | Swiss Party of Labour | Partei der Arbeit der Schweiz (PdA) | Parti suisse du travail – Parti ouvrier et populaire (PST-POP) | Partito Svizzero del Lavoro – Partito Operaio e Popolare (PC) | Partida svizra da la lavur (PdL) | |
GLP/PVL | Green Liberal Party | Grünliberale Partei der Schweiz (GLP) | Parti vert'libéral (PVL) | Partito Verde Liberale (PVL) | Partida verda-liberala (PVL) | |
MCG | Geneva Citizens' Movement | Genfer Bürgerbewegung | Mouvement citoyens genevois (MCG) | Movimento dei Cittadini Ginevrini | ||
CSP OW | Christian Social Party of Obwalden | Christlichsoziale Partei Obwalden (CSP OW) | Parti chrétien-social d'Obwald | |||
Sol | Solidarity | Solidarität | solidaritéS | Solidarità | Solidaritad | |
SLB/MSL | Social Liberal Movement | Sozial-Liberale Bewegung | Mouvement socio-libéral | Movimento social-liberale | ||
SD/DS | Swiss Democrats | Schweizer Demokraten (SD) | Démocrates suisses (DS) | Democratici Svizzeri (DS) | Democrats svizers (DS) | |
FPS/PSL | Freedom Party | Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz | Parti suisse de la liberté | Partito svizzero della Libertà | Partida Svizra da la Libertad | |
HPS/PHS | Swiss Humanist Party | Humanistische Partei der Schweiz | Parti Humaniste de la Suisse | Partito Umanista della Svizzera | Partida umanistica da la Svizra | |
KVP | Catholic People's Party | Katholische Volkspartei | Parti populaire catholique | Partito Popolare Cattolico | Partida populara catolica | |
PPS | Pirate Party | Piratenpartei Schweiz | Parti Pirate Suisse | Partito Pirata Svizzera | Partida da Pirats Svizra | |
TPS/PSpA | Tierpartei Schweiz | Tierpartei Schweiz (TPS) | Parti suisse pour les animaux (PSpA) | Partito svizzero per gli animali (PSpA) | Partida svizra d'animals (PSA) | |
up! | The Swiss Independence Party up! | Unabhängigkeitspartei up! | Parti suisse de l'indépendance | up! Switzerland |
Sources: The Swiss Federal Chancellery
Relative importance
[edit]At the federal level
[edit]- Composition of the National Council by political party, 1919–2019
- Composition of the Federal Council by political party, 1919–2017
Overall
[edit]Party | Number of elected representatives at the federal, cantonal and communal levels |
---|---|
FDP.The Liberals | |
Social Democratic Party | |
Swiss People's Party | |
Christian Democratic Party | |
Conservative Democratic Party |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Includes seats held by the FDP and by the Liberal Party in Vaud and Valais where cantonal parties did not merge and retained separate structures
- ^ Including one independent member of the Council of States (Thomas Minder).
- ^ Cantonal executives As of 2022[update]
- ^ Cantonal legislatures As of 2021[update], including independents and small minor parties.
- ^ 2011 Swiss federal election, where applicable
References
[edit]- ^ 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
- ^ Office fédéral de la statistique. "Élections aux parlements cantonaux". www.bfs.admin.ch (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-03.
- ^ "Swiss Political Parties Reveal Their Colours". Swissinfo. September 11, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
- ^ "Gemeindewahlen" (in German). Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Swiss Confederation — A Brief Guide" (PDF). Federal Chancellery. 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ Barbet, Denis; Bonhomme, Marc (2006). La politique mise au Net. ENS Editions. ISBN 9782847880953.
- ^ a b c Der Bund kurz erklärt (in German). Swiss Confederation. 2011. p. 21. Archived from the original on 2012-01-24.
- ^ "Kantonale Regierungswahlen" (in German). Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ "Kantonale Parlamentswahlen" (in German). Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ^ Kevin Gertsch; Chantal Tauxe (24 December 2014). "L'UDC n'est pas le premier parti de Suisse" [The UDC is not the largest party in Switzerland]. L'Hebdo. pp. 62–63.
Bibliography
[edit]- Pierre Cormon, Swiss Politics for Complete Beginners, Editions Slatkine, 2014. ISBN 978-2-8321-0607-5