Free Democratic Party of Switzerland

Free Democratic Party of Switzerland

Infobox Swiss Political Party
party_name = Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
party_
party_wikicolourid = FDP
german_name = Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP)
french_name = Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD)
italian_name = Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR) | romansh_name = Partida liberaldemocrata svizra (PLD)
president = Fulvio Pelli
council_members = Pascal Couchepin and Hans-Rudolf Merz
foundation = 1848
headquarters = Neuengasse 20
Postfach 6136
CH-3001 Berne
ideology = Liberalism,
Conservative liberalism,
Libertarianism
european =European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
international = Liberal International
colours = Blue
website = [http://www.prd.ch/ www.prd.ch]
The Free Democratic Party of Switzerland ( _de. Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP), _fr. Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD); _it. Partito liberale radicale svizzero (PLR); _rm. Partida liberaldemocrata svizra (PLD)) is a liberal party in Switzerland. Its youth organisation is Young Liberals.

The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. A few of the cantonal parties in Central Switzerland are/were named "Liberal Party" (Liberale Partei), and not affiliated with the Liberal Party of Switzerland.
As of March 2005, the party president is Fulvio Pelli. Current members in the Federal Council are Pascal Couchepin and Hans-Rudolf Merz.

History

The elements liberal, radical and "free-thinking" (German "freisinnig") in the party's name suggest a left-wing party, while in the current political landscape of Switzerland, the FDP is center-right. This is because the name dates back to the conflicts during the period of Restauration between the Catholic conservative cantons and the Protestant liberal cantons that led to the foundation of the Swiss federal state in 1848.

The bourgeois Protestant cantons had defeated the Catholic cantons, and from 1848 until 1891, the Federal Council was composed entirely of FDP members. The "Radical Party" of the restoration was actually left-wing compared to the Catholic Conservative Party, and it was only with the rise of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland in the early 20th century that the FDP found itself on the right side of the political center.

After the federal election 2003 FDP and LPS founded a common group in the Federal Assembly. In June 2005 they strengthened their cooperation by founding Radical and Liberal Union [ [http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=881&sid=5899597 New alliance counters left-right polarisation - swissinfo ] ]

Ideology

As a classical liberal party, the FDP generally opposes state intervention in social and economic affairs. Based on its conception of the individual as free, sovereign and self-responsible, it rejects notions of a welfare state and paternalist regulation that became common in Liberalism in other European countries in the late nineteenth century. The FDP professes faith in the free market, free trade, economic deregulation and the rule of law.

As regards specific issues, it is often labeled progressive with regard to social policy, supporting e.g. the legalisation of soft drugs and legal recognition for same-sex couples. In economic policy, it generally favors reduced government spending, tax cuts and a flexible labour market. However, like most other Swiss parties it has no tradition of strong central leadership or ideological unity, and consequently the views of its individual representatives or functionaries vary considerably across the rough center of the political spectrum.

The FDP is often considered to be closely associated with Swiss business interests, in particular banks and pharmaceutical companies. In the eyes of its detractors on the Right, this has caused it to abandon its liberal values at times, e.g. by its support of import protection for medicine or of the expensive 2002 government bailout of the failing national airline, Swissair.

Popular support

In 2003, it held 36 mandates (out of 200) in the Swiss National Council (first chamber of the Swiss parliament); 14 (out of 46) in the second chamber and 2 out of 7 mandates in the Swiss Federal Council (executive body). By 2005, it hold 27,2% of the seats in the Swiss Cantonal governments and 19,7% in the Swiss Cantonal parliaments (index "BADAC", weighted with the population and number of seats). At the last legislative elections, 22 October 2007, the party won 15.6 % of the popular vote and 31 out of 200 seats. [ [http://www.politik-stat.ch/nrw2007CH_de.html Nationalrat 2007 ] ]

Presidents

*1978-1984 Yann Richter, Neuchâtel
*1984-1989 Bruno Hunziker, Aargau
*1989-2001 Franz Steinegger, Uri
*2001-2002 Gerold Bührer, Schaffhausen
*2002-2004 Christiane Langenberger, Vaud
*2004-2004 Rolf Schweiger, Zug
*since 2005 Fulvio Pelli, Ticino

ee also

*Liberalism
*Contributions to liberal theory
*Liberalism worldwide
*List of liberal parties
*Liberal democracy
*Liberalism and radicalism in Switzerland

References

External links

* [http://www.fdp.ch/ Free Democratic Party] official site (in German)
* [http://www.prd.ch/ Free Democratic Party] official site (in French)
* [http://www.jungfreisinnige.ch/ Young Liberals Switzerland] official site of the youth branch, called jungfreisinnige schweiz (in German/French)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Free Democratic Party — (FDP) may be:*Free Democratic Party (Germany), Freie Demokratische Partei *Free Democratic Party (Liberia) *Free Democratic Party of Switzerland, Freisinnig Demokratische Partei …   Wikipedia

  • Democratic Party (Luxembourg) — Democratic Party Demokratesch Partei Leader Claude Meisch …   Wikipedia

  • Radical Democratic Party — ▪ political party, Switzerland German  Freisinnig Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP) , French  Parti Radical Démocratique Suisse (PRD) , Italian  Partito Liberale Radicale Svizzero (PLR)        centrist political party of Switzerland. With… …   Universalium

  • Liberal Party of Switzerland — The Liberal Party of Switzerland ( de. Liberale Partei der Schweiz, fr. Parti liberal suisse, it. Partito Liberale Svizzero) is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. The party is a member of Liberal International.In the 2003 federal …   Wikipedia

  • Czech Social Democratic Party — Česká strana sociálně demokratická Leader Bohuslav Sobotka Founded …   Wikipedia

  • Free Democrats — can be:*Alliance of Free Democrats (Hungary) *Association of Free Democrats (East German) *Free Democrats of Arjeplog (Swedish) *Free Democratic Party (Germany) *Free Democratic Party (Switzerland) *Free minded Democratic League (Netherlands)… …   Wikipedia

  • Switzerland — /swit seuhr leuhnd/, n. a republic in central Europe. 7,248,984; 15,944 sq. mi. (41,294 sq. km). Cap.: Bern. French, Suisse. German, Schweiz. Italian, Svizzera. Latin, Helvetia. * * * Switzerland Introduction Switzerland Background: Switzerland s …   Universalium

  • Switzerland — Swiss redirects here. For other uses, see Swiss (disambiguation). Swiss Confederation redirects here. For Swiss Confederacy, see Old Swiss Confederacy. This article is about the country. For other uses, see Switzerland (disambiguation). Swiss… …   Wikipedia

  • Switzerland — <p></p> <p></p> Introduction ::Switzerland <p></p> Background: <p></p> The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities… …   The World Factbook

  • Switzerland as a federal state — The rise of Switzerland as a federal state began on September 12, 1848, with the creation of a federal constitution, which was created in response to a 27 day civil war in Switzerland, the Sonderbundskrieg . The constitution, which was heavily… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”