This is a list of political parties in Switzerland.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Swiss_party_politics_1985-2010_e.png/440px-Swiss_party_politics_1985-2010_e.png)
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
editFederal and cantonal parliaments
editThe 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
editThe 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
editNames in the national languages
editAbbr. | 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
editAt 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
editParty | 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
editNotes
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