Green Party of Switzerland

Infobox Swiss Political Party
party_name = Green Party of Switzerland
party_logo =
party_wikicolourid = GPS
german_name = Grüne Partei der Schweiz (GPS)
french_name = Les verts – Parti écologiste suisse (PES)
italian_name = I Verdi – Partito ecologista svizzero (PES)
romansh_name = La Verda – Partida ecologica svizra| president =Ueli Leuenberger
council_members = None
foundation = December 1971
headquarters = Waisenhausplatz 21
CH-3011 Bern
ideology = Green politics
european = European Green Party
international = Global Greens
colours = Green
website = [http://www.gruene.ch/f/index.asp www.gruene.ch] The Green Party of Switzerland ( _de. Grüne Partei der Schweiz; _fr. Les vertsndash Parti écologiste suisse; _it. I Verdindash Partito ecologista svizzero; _rm. La Verdandash Partida ecologica svizra; "The Greensndash Swiss ecological party") is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest not represented on the Federal Council.

History

The first Green party in Switzerland was founded as a local party in 1971 in the town of Neuchâtel. In 1979 Daniel Brélaz was elected to the National Council as the first Green parliamentarian on the national level. Local and regional Green parties and organisations were founded in many different towns and cantons in the following years.

In 1983, two different national green party federations were created: in May, diverse local green groups came together in Fribourg to form the "Federation of Green Parties of Switzerland", and in June, some left-alternative groups formed the "Green Alternative Party of Switzerland" in Bern. In 1990, an attempt to fuse these organisations failed. Afterwards, some of the member groups from the "Green Alternative Party" joined the "Federation of Green Parties" which has become the "de facto" national Green party. In 1993, the "Federation of Green Parties" changed its name to the "Green Party of Switzerland".

In 1986 the first two Green members of a cantonal government become members of the "Regierungsrat" of Bern.

In 1987, the Green Party of Switzerland joined the European Federation of Green Parties.

In the 1990s, members of the Green Party became town mayors, members of the high court and even president of a cantonal government (Verena Diener in 1999).

Ideology

The Swiss Greens have adopted the motto "think globally, act locally." Their vision is a human livelihood for all humans in an intact environment. To reach this vision, the Swiss Greens work for sustainable development, environmentalism and human rights. Key criteria for their politics are:
*long-term thinking
*quality
*solidarity
*decentralisation
*diversity

Popular support

Green Members of the National Council (200 seats)
*1979 - 1 member
*1983 - 4 members
*1987 - 11 members, forming the fifth-largest faction
*1991 - 14 members
*1995 - 9 members (+ 2 other councilors joining the green faction)
*1999 - 9 members (+ 1 other councilor)
*2003 - 14 members (+ 1 other councilor)
*2007 - 20 members (+ 1 other councilor)

On the national level, in 2003 the Green Party was not represented in the
Council of States or Federal Council. In 2007, two Green Party members were elected to the Council of States. [ [http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/film/waadt_staenderat_gruene_1.582483.html NZZ Online, November 11, 2007] (German)]

By 2005, the party held 3.8 percent of the seats in the Swiss cantonal executive governments and 6.9 percent in the Swiss cantonal parliaments (index "BADAC", weighted with the population and number of seats). The Green Party is today (2007) represented in the governments of the cantons Bern, Basel-City, Geneva (two ministers), Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Vaud and Zug (two ministers).

See also

*Green party
*Green politics
*List of environmental organizations

References

External links

* [http://www.gruene.ch Green Party of Switzerland] (official site) de icon fr icon
* [http://www.swissgreens.org Swiss Greens International]