1979 Swiss federal election

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 21 October 1979. The Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party emerged as the largest parties in the National Council, both winning 51 of the 200 seats.

1979 Swiss federal election

21 October 1979
National Council
All 200 seats in the National Council 101 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	48.05% ( 4.31pp)
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– Social Democrats Helmut Hubacher 24.44 51 −4 Free Democrats Yann Richter 24.01 51 +4 Christian Democrats Hans Wyer 21.29 44 −2 Swiss People's Fritz Hofmann 11.6 23 +2 LdU Walter Biel 4.07 8 −3 Liberals Blaise Clerc 2.8 8 +2 Evangelical People's 2.22 3 0 Labour 2.08 3 −1 POCH 1.7 2 +2 National Action Valentin Oehen 1.32 2 0 Republican 0.63 1 −3 Greens 0.63 1 +1 Entente Jurassienne 0.46 1 New Autonomous Socialists 0.44 1 0 Jurassic Unity 0.41 1 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Council of States
All 46 seats in the Council of States 24 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats +/– Christian Democrats 18 +1 Free Democrats 11 −4 Social Democrats 9 +4 Swiss People's 5 0 Liberals 3 +2 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Results

National Council

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	447,990	24.44	51	–4
	Free Democratic Party	440,099	24.01	51	+4
	Christian Democratic People's Party	390,281	21.29	44	–2
	Swiss People's Party	212,705	11.60	23	+2
	Alliance of Independents	74,623	4.07	8	–3
	Liberal Party	51,258	2.80	8	+2
	Evangelical People's Party	40,744	2.22	3	0
	Swiss Party of Labour	38,187	2.08	3	–1
	Swiss Progressive Organisations	31,128	1.70	2	+2
	National Action	24,257	1.32	2	0
	Republican Movement	11,587	0.63	1	–3
	Green Party	11,583	0.63	1	+1
	Autonomous Socialist Party	8,147	0.44	1	0
	Federal Democratic Union	4,626	0.25	0	0
	Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	3,236	0.18	0	–
	Other parties	42,740	2.33	2	–
Total		1,833,191	100.00	200	0
Valid votes		1,833,191	98.74
Invalid/blank votes		23,460	1.26
Total votes		1,856,651	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,864,285	48.05
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Electorate	Turnout	Party		Votes	Seats won
Aargau	14	268,819	122,659		Social Democratic Party	467,304	4
					Christian Democratic People's Party	380,057	4
					Free Democratic Party	347,187	3
					Swiss People's Party	234,691	2
					Ring of Independents	93,658	1
					Evangelical People's Party	85,202	0
					Republican Movement	36,056	0
					National Action	27,145	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	15,212	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	3,656	0
Appenzell Ausserrhoden	2	Elected unopposed			Free Democratic Party		1
					Social Democratic Party		1
Appenzell Innerrhoden	1	8,174	1,964		Christian Democratic People's Party	1,853	1
					Others	54	0
Basel-Landschaft	7	134,554	57,940		Social Democratic Party	126,256	2
					Free Democratic Party	107,104	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	46,284	1
					Swiss People's Party	42,341	1
					Ring of Independents	31,500	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	28,506	0
					Evangelical People's Party	15,472	0
					Party of Labour	4,118	0
Basel-Stadt	7	140,392	55,356		Social Democratic Party	128,153	3
					Free Democratic Party	54,225	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	53,570	1
					Liberal Party	43,148	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	39,576	1
					Ring of Independents	29,103	0
					Party of Labour	17,963	0
					National Action	15,132	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	3,082	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	400	0
Bern	29	601,067	299,125		Swiss People's Party	2,689,061	10
					Social Democratic Party	2,604,568	9
					Free Democratic Party	1,532,680	6
					National Action	305,344	1
					Evangelical People's Party	287,246	1
					Ring of Independents	263,902	1
					Entente Jurassienne	238,793	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	211,171	0
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	117,994	0
					Federal Democratic Union	100,099	0
					Democratic Alternative	92,612	0
					Citizens' List Against the Accumulation of Offices	26,979	0
					Party of Labour	22,161	0
					Republican Movement	16,895	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	16,504	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	7,020	0
Fribourg	6	115,172	56,020		Christian Democratic People's Party	131,487	3
					Social Democratic Party	101,272	2
					Free Democratic Party	75,731	1
					Swiss People's Party	21,237	0
Geneva	11	182,765	68,654		Social Democratic Party	156,909	3
					Liberal Party	155,489	2
					Party of Labour	145,154	2
					Free Democratic Party	107,497	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	102,239	1
					Vigilance	47,865	1
					Revolutionary Marxist League	10,936	0
					National Action	4,428	0
Glarus	1	22,726	8,037		Swiss People's Party	6,394	1
					Others	1,423	0
Grisons	5	100,685	46,168		Christian Democratic People's Party	79,143	2
					Free Democratic Party	51,169	1
					Swiss People's Party	47,280	1
					Social Democratic Party	45,878	1
Jura	2	40,981	24,010		Christian Democratic People's Party	17,901	1
					People's List for Jurassic Unity	14,923	1
					Free Democratic Party	14,709	0
Lucerne	9	182,390	107,952		Christian Democratic People's Party	480,552	5
					Free Democratic Party	302,011	3
					Social Democratic Party	119,289	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	48,860	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	1,855	0
Neuchâtel	5	97,241	42,059		Social Democratic Party	76,115	2
					Liberal Party	53,729	2
					Free Democratic Party	41,855	1
					Party of Labour	15,649	0
					Ring of Independents	9,732	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	3,360	0
					Democratic Alternative	2,941	0
Nidwalden	1	18,345	10,951		Christian Democratic People's Party	5,318	1
					Free Democratic Party	4,189	0
					Social Democratic Party	1,135	0
					Others	96	0
Obwalden	1	10,060	6,796		Christian Democratic People's Party	4,209	1
					Others	188	0
Schaffhausen	2	42,953	32,240		Social Democratic Party	21,662	1
					Free Democratic Party	19,787	1
					Swiss People's Party	12,957	0
					Evangelical People's Party	3,856	0
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	3,511	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	564	0
Schwyz	3	58,170	28,281		Christian Democratic People's Party	40,832	2
					Free Democratic Party	23,183	1
					Social Democratic Party	18,697	0
Solothurn	7	138,097	78,551		Free Democratic Party	210,598	3
					Social Democratic Party	153,438	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	148,776	2
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	21,982	0
					Party of Labour	5,160	0
St. Gallen	12	231,681	104,269		Christian Democratic People's Party	542,444	6
					Free Democratic Party	339,587	3
					Social Democratic Party	221,052	2
					Ring of Independents	101,333	1
					Evangelical People's Party	26,102	0
Ticino	8	150,693	90,519		Free Democratic Party	250,842	3
					Christian Democratic People's Party	235,760	3
					Social Democratic Party	104,884	1
					Autonomous Socialist Party	64,845	1
					Party of Labour	18,848	0
					Swiss People's Party	15,882	0
Thurgau	6	106,712	51,537		Swiss People's Party	80,645	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	75,144	2
					Social Democratic Party	68,381	1
					Free Democratic Party	51,507	1
					Ring of Independents	16,054	0
					Republican Movement	6,142	0
					National Action	5,834	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	1,218	0
Uri	1	21,549	12,112		Free Democratic Party	4,462	1
					Social Democratic Party	2,635	0
					Others	4,348	0
Vaud	16	310,274	115,657		Free Democratic Party	488,268	5
					Social Democratic Party	449,401	5
					Liberal Party	301,754	3
					Party of Labour	168,088	1
					Swiss People's Party	122,621	1
					Green Party	115,465	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	91,630	0
					Constitution and Liberty Movement	29,149	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	23,138	0
					Ring of Independents	14,463	0
Valais	7	135,196	88,789		Christian Democratic People's Party	356,727	4
					Free Democratic Party	137,383	2
					Social Democratic Party	70,086	1
					Critical Oberwallis	15,423	0
					Social Independent Movement	10,901	0
					Non-Partisan Movement for Democracy and Progress	8,593	0
					Liberal Party	4,970	0
					Alliance of Conservatives, Radicals and Socialists	2,499	0
Zug	2	44,143	24,681		Christian Democratic People's Party	16,710	1
					Free Democratic Party	16,062	1
					Social Democratic Party	15,137	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	1,088	0
Zürich	35	694,321	322,362		Social Democratic Party	2,943,873	10
					Free Democratic Party	2,489,440	9
					Swiss People's Party	1,607,460	5
					Ring of Independents	1,241,695	4
					Christian Democratic People's Party	1,080,046	3
					Evangelical People's Party	630,485	2
					National Action	279,222	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	254,429	1
					Green Party	149,069	0
					Party of Labour	133,483	0
					Republican Movement	100,728	0
					Hopp Schwiiz!	78,476	0
					Federal Democratic Union	39,058	0
					Liberal Socialists	34,463	0
					Revolutionary Marxist League	28,735	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	18,097	0
					Christians at the Gotthard	7,682	0
					European Federalist Party	5,030	0
Source: Bundesblatt, 4 December 1979

Council of the States

Party		Seats	+/–
	Christian Democratic People's Party	18	+1
	Free Democratic Party	11	–4
	Social Democratic Party	9	+4
	Swiss People's Party	5	0
	Liberal Party	3	+2
	Alliance of Independents	0	–1
Total		46	+2
Source: Nohlen & Stöver