A Political and Economic Dictionary of Western Europe, First Edition
The Swiss People’s Party, or Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP), is the populist right-wing party in Switzerland. It was founded in 1971 following the merger of two rural farmers’ parties. The SVP campaigns to limit the immigrant population in Switzerland, and is opposed to the country joining the European Union. It is also against the setting up of a Swiss ‘Solidarity Foundation’ to help the world’s poor.
The party made electoral gains at federal level throughout the 1990s and following the 1999 election was the second largest party, occupying 44 seats in the 200-seat Nationalrat. In the elections held on 19 October 2003 the party won 26.6% of the vote and 55 parliamentary seats, overtaking the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland to become the largest party.
The SVP had just one seat in the permanent seven-member coalition established in 1959. Following its electoral success in 2003 the party negotiated the transfer of an additional seat to it, at the expense of the Christian Democratic Party, which was taken by the SVP’s controversial politician Christoph Blocher. During the 2003 election campaign the SVP was criticized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for appearing to blame crime and drugs problems on asylumseekers.
Leadership: Pres. Ueli Maurer; Gen. Sec. Gregor Rutz
Address: Brückfeldstrasse 18, 3000 Bern 26, Switzerland
Tel: (0)313005858
Fax: (0)313005859
E-mail: info@svp.ch
Internet: www.svp.ch
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