The Swiss Democrats (german: Schweizer Demokraten; french: Démocrates Suisses; it, Democratici Svizzeri; rm, Democrats Svizers) are a
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
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.
History
The ''Nationale Aktion'' was originally a
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of bein ...
xenophobic
Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
movement pursuing an
anti-immigration
Opposition to immigration, also known as anti-immigration, has become a significant political ideology in many countries. In the modern sense, immigration refers to the entry of people from one state or territory into another state or territory ...
agenda, founded in 1961.
The party "emerged as a reaction to the influx of foreign workers," particularly Italians, during this time.
The party submitted several
popular initiatives
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...
that supported reduced immigration, most notably
one in June 1970 that narrowly failed.
Its first representative in the
National Council was
James Schwarzenbach, who was first elected in 1967.
After a hostile split with Schwarzenbach in 1971, who formed the
Republican Movement, the party lost most of its momentum during the 1970s.
It had a strong resurgence in the early 1980s, and it won 5 seats in the
1991 federal elections, the most it had ever held.
After another hostile split with former president
Valentin Oehen
Valentin Oehen (26 June 1931 – 2 June 2022) was a Swiss politician. He was a member of the ''National Action against the Alienation of the People and the Home'' (renamed later in Swiss Democrats, DS).
Biography
Oehen became president of the ' ...
in 1986, the party was renamed to its current name in 1990.
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.
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
The following elections occurred in the year 2007.
* Electoral calendar 2007
* Elections in 2007
* 2007 United Nations Security Council election
Africa
* 52nd National Conference of the African National Congress
* 2007 Algerian legislative elec ...
, 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
Party presidents
Source:
*
James Schwarzenbach (?–1971)
*Rudolf Weber (1971/72)
*
Valentin Oehen
Valentin Oehen (26 June 1931 – 2 June 2022) was a Swiss politician. He was a member of the ''National Action against the Alienation of the People and the Home'' (renamed later in Swiss Democrats, DS).
Biography
Oehen became president of the ' ...
(1972–1980)
*
Hans Zwicky
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...
(1980–1986)
*
Rudolf Keller
Rudolf Keller (16 June 1917 – 28 November 1993) was a German chess master.
Born in Dresden, he was the brother of Edith Keller-Herrmann. In 1935–1938, he won Dresden and Saxony championships. He took 4th at Berlin 1938, shared 1st with Ludwig ...
(1986–2005)
*
Bernhard Hess
Bernhard Hess (born 5 April 1966) is a Swiss politician from the canton of Bern. He was the president of the Swiss Democrats from 2005 to 2012 and was a member of the National Council from 5 December 1999 to 1 December 2007.
Hess was born in So ...
(2005–2012)
*
Andreas Stahel
Andreas ( el, Ἀνδρέας) is a name usually given to males in Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Denmark, Armenia, Estonia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Finland, Flanders, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Indonesia. The ...
(2012–)
See also
*
Freedom Party of Switzerland.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official web site*
{{Authority control
Political parties in Switzerland
Conservative parties in Switzerland
Eurosceptic parties in Switzerland
National conservative parties
Right-wing parties in Switzerland