FDP. The Liberals

FDP. The Liberals, centrist political party of Switzerland formed in 2009 by the merger of the Radical Democratic Party (German: Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz [FDP]) and the Liberal Party (German: Liberale Partei der Schweiz [LPS]). FDP. The Liberals assumed the role previously held by the Radical Democratic Party alongside the Christian Democratic People’s Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the Swiss People’s Party in the grand coalition that has governed Switzerland since 1959.

The Radical Democratic Party (FDP), which was sometimes known as the Free-Thinking Democratic Party, traced its roots to the movement that gave rise in 1848 to the Swiss Confederation and to the country’s first constitution. From 1848 to the end of the 19th century, when it was known as the Liberal Party, it dominated Swiss politics. In 1876 a Radical Democratic faction was formally established in the Swiss legislature, and in 1894 the party was officially founded. The introduction of proportional representation for national elections in the 20th century reduced its strength, but it continued to play a leading role in Swiss politics throughout the century. Since its founding, the Radical Democratic Party supported a strong federal government and a market economy, but it was also an advocate for the rights of local government and of minority groups.

Since 1959 the FDP was represented by two of the seven members of the Federal Council, the Swiss government’s executive branch. It had long been among the strongest of the political forces in the Swiss government, and it was the country’s largest party from 1983 through 1995, winning about one-fourth of the total vote. During the 1990s the party fell to third place when there was a shift in the electorate in favour of more-restrictive immigration and social policies. In an attempt to shore up its flagging numbers, the FDP formed a coalition with the Liberal Party (LPS) in 2005. Additional losses in the 2007 general election led the FDP to formally unite in 2009 with the LPS, forming a party whose name is uniquely styled FDP. The Liberals. All four parties of the grand coalition saw their numbers drop in the 2011 general election, as new, smaller parties posted impressive results. This led many to question whether or not the “magic formula” that had traditionally determined the allocation of seats on the Federal Council could be preserved.