Swiss Democrats
Encyclopedia
The Swiss Democrats are a right-wing political party
in Switzerland
.
The party is not represented in the Federal Assembly, but has two members of the Grand Council
of Aargau
.
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.
The Nationale Aktion was in origin a far right
xenophobic
movement pursuing an anti-immigration agenda during the 1960s. After a hostile split with James Schwarzenbach
in 1971, the movement lost most of its momentum during the 1970s. It re-surfaced in the 1980s.
After another hostile split with former president Valentin Oehen, it was renamed to its current name in 1990. After 1998, the party lost nearly all significance in national politics because of the absorption of far right votes into the growing Swiss People's Party
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The party is not represented in the Federal Assembly, but has two members of the Grand Council
Grand Council of Aargau
The Grand Council of Aargau is the legislature of the canton of Aargau, in Switzerland. Aargau has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 140 seats, with members elected every four years....
of Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
.
In the 2003 federal elections
Swiss federal election, 2003
Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. Although in Switzerland's peculiar political system, in which all four major parties form a coalition, it is very difficult to achieve a change of government, this election produced an upset in the strong showing of the...
, the party won 1.0% of the vote and 1 out of 200 seats in the National Council
National Council of Switzerland
The National Council of Switzerland is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. With 200 seats, it is the larger of the two houses....
. This seat was lost in the 2007 elections
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
, 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.
The Nationale Aktion was in origin a far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
movement pursuing an anti-immigration agenda during the 1960s. After a hostile split with James Schwarzenbach
James Schwarzenbach
James Schwarzenbach was a far-right Swiss politician, in the 1970s head of the short-lived Republican Party of Switzerland and publicist of fascist, völkisch and antisemitic literature, his Thomas-Verlag....
in 1971, the movement lost most of its momentum during the 1970s. It re-surfaced in the 1980s.
After another hostile split with former president Valentin Oehen, it was renamed to its current name in 1990. After 1998, the party lost nearly all significance in national politics because of the absorption of far right votes into the growing Swiss People's Party
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
.