Swiss Democrats

The Swiss Democrats (German: Schweizer Demokraten; French: Démocrates Suisses; Italian: Democratici Svizzeri; Romansh: Democrats Svizers) are a nationalist[1] political party in Switzerland. It was called the National Action against the Alienation of the People and the Home (German: Nationale Aktion gegen Überfremdung von Volk und Heimat; NA) until 1977 and the National Action for People and Home (German: Nationale Aktion für Volk und Heimat) until 1990, when it was renamed to its current name.[2]

Swiss Democrats
German nameSchweizer Demokraten
French nameDémocrates Suisses
Italian nameDemocratici Svizzeri
Romansh nameDemocrats Svizers
PresidentAndreas Stahel
Members of the Federal CouncilNone
Founded1961
IdeologySwiss nationalism
Euroscepticism
Political positionRight-wing to far-right[1]
ColoursRed
Website
www.schweizer-demokraten.ch
Swiss Federal Council
Federal Chancellor
Federal Assembly
Council of States (members)
National Council (members)
Voting

History

The Nationale Aktion was originally a far-right xenophobic movement pursuing an anti-immigration agenda, founded in 1961.[2] The party "emerged as a reaction to the influx of foreign workers," particularly Italians, during this time.[2] The party submitted several popular initiatives that supported reduced immigration, most notably one in June 1970 that narrowly failed.[2] Its first representative in the National Council was James Schwarzenbach, who was first elected in 1967.[2]

After a hostile split with Schwarzenbach in 1971, who formed the Republican Movement, the party lost most of its momentum during the 1970s.[2] It had a strong resurgence in the early 1980s,[3] and it won 5 seats in the 1991 federal elections, the most it had ever held.[2]

After another hostile split with former president Valentin Oehen in 1986, the party was renamed to its current name in 1990.[2] After 1998, the party lost nearly all significance in national politics because of the absorption of right-wing votes into the growing Swiss People's Party.[2]

In the 2003 federal elections, the party won 1.0% of the vote and 1 out of 200 seats in the National Council. This seat was lost in the 2007 elections, where the SD fell to 0.5% of the popular vote. After their severe election loss, the party congress decided not to disband but to continue competing in elections, striving to return to parliament.

Federal elections
Federal Assembly of Switzerland[4][5]
Election # of total votes % of popular vote # of seats won
1967 6,275 0.6% 1
1971 63,781 3.2% 4
1975 2.5% 2
1979 1.3% 2
1983 2.9% 4
1987 2.5% 3
1991 69,297 3.4% 5
1995 59,613 3.1% 3
1999 35,883 1.8% 1
2003 20,177 1.0% 1
2007 12,609 0.5% 0
2011 0.2% 0
2015 0.1% 0
2019 3,202 0.1% 0

Party presidents

Source:[6]

  • James Schwarzenbach (?–1971)
  • Rudolf Weber (1971/72)
  • Valentin Oehen (1972–1980)
  • Hans Zwicky (1980–1986)
  • Rudolf Keller (1986–2005)
  • Bernhard Hess (2005–2012)
  • Andreas Stahel (2012–)
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See also

References
  1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2007). "Switzerland". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009.
  2. Weibel, Andrea. "Schweizer Demokraten (SD)". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German). Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  3. Skenderovic 2009, p. 62.
  4. "Nationalratswahlen: Mandatsverteilung nach Parteien". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  5. "Nationalratswahlen: Stärke der Parteien". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  6. "Geschichte der NA - Schweizer Demokraten". schweizer-demokraten.ch (in German). Retrieved December 16, 2016.

Bibliography
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