FDP.The Liberals
Encyclopedia
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal
political party in Switzerland
. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council
, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States
.
The party was formed on 1 January 2009, after two parties, the Free Democratic Party
(FDP) and the smaller Liberal Party
, united. In Vaud
and Valais
, the parties retain separate organisations. Its youth organisation is Young Liberals
. With 130,000 members as of 2010, the FDP has the most members of any party: 30% more than the second-placed CVP
.
The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
. The party's president is Fulvio Pelli
. The current FDP representatives in the Federal Council
are Didier Burkhalter
and Johann Schneider-Ammann
.
(FDP) and the Liberal Party
. The radical
Free Democratic Party, also called the 'Radicals', was Switzerland's major establishment party. Officially founded in 1894, the party's classical liberal
predecessors had governed Switzerland outright for most of the 19th century, and had been the guiding force behind the creation of modern Switzerland. The Liberal Party, known as the 'Old Liberals', represented the French-speaking establishment: again rooted in the conservative liberalism
of the nineteenth century. It also had a distinctly liberal Protestant
outlook.
In the 2003 federal election
, the two parties formed an electoral alliance
. In the election, the Liberals were reduced to four seats, below the five required to form an official grouping in the Federal Assembly, so the two formed a joint caucus. In June 2005, the two founded the Radical and Liberal Union, which aimed to promote liberal goals through deeper cooperation. In 2007, the women's arms of the parties merged, while the youth wings merged the following year to form the Young Liberals
. Agreement on the merger of the federal parties was agreed in October 2008. The agreement was adopted on 28 February 2009, applying retroactively to 1 January 2009. FDP President Fulvio Pelli
of Ticino
became the party's first leader, while Liberal President Pierre Weiss was named one of four Vice-Presidents.
Separate Free Democrat and Liberal branches remained in competition with each other in Geneva
, Valais
, and Vaud
. In May 2011, the party's two Geneva branches – Liberal Party of Geneva and Radical Party of Geneva – merged to form a single FDP.The Liberals cantonal branch.
and individual responsibility. The FDP calls for mutual tolerance of people with different opinions and self-identities, entrepreneurship
, social responsibility
, the rule of law
and participatory democracy
.
The party believes that an open society
and economic freedom
are more conducive to prosperity, and greater economic and social stability, than a redistributive
and regulative
state. The FDP wants more freedom of choice rather than restrictions in all areas of private life. According to the party's stance, self-responsibility and competition should dictate the actions of individuals, not bans. The FDP wants to ensure that personal initiative is rewarded and not restricted by paternalism. Start-ups, particularly by young people, are to be encouraged.
The FDP works toward a society offering genuine opportunities with flexible choices in education, work, family support and education. It is also aiming at more and better jobs, a sustainable social welfare system which will result in strong national cohesion that counteracts see the divergence of society. This includes stabilizing premium costs in the healthcare sector and combating the abuse of social welfare systems, but also intergenerational equity
. The motto of the party in matters of social security is: "Solidarity where it is necessary" and "self-reliance where it is possible". As a profitable investment for the future of society, the FDP wants to promote the highest quality education at all levels, since it considers human capital the most important resource of Switzerland. It considers innovation as a crucial asset for prosperity and wants to improve the position of Switzerland as one of the leaders of innovation.
The party stands for a simple tax code, low taxes, and for tax competition among the cantons. It calls for a more citizen-friendly state without excessive bureaucracy and excessive regulation, a lean state with lower government spending, which offers only those services which citizens and the private sector cannot provide. The party, which calls for a competitive and sustainable market economy, wants to strengthen Switzerland as a financial and economic hub with little government interference as possible. It also calls for the reduction of public debt and fiscal deficits. In general, it believes that tax incentives are better than subsidies in creating incentives. The party sees in the current financial crisis an opportunity, to carry out financial and tax reforms quickly to improve situation of companies in Switzerland and to create 40,000 new jobs by 2015. The main objectives of energy policy
are security of energy supply, and increasing energy efficiency. The party wants to support the research of alternative sources of energy for electricity production which generate no carbon dioxide, however, it is against a carbon emissions tax.
The party wants to support the neutrality, the federalism, the direct democracy and the tax sovereignty of each canton. National security should be credibly guaranteed by a skilled, and strong militia. The party is for a "cosmopolitan Switzerland", which benefits from the opportunities that globalization provides. The FDP supports the close cooperation with the EU through bilateral treaties, but rejects accession to the EU. The immigration policy of the party is based on the integration of immigrants, requiring clear and effective rules by means of an "integration law". The FDP calls for consistent action against abuse of laws in Switzerland by immigrants, and in repeated cases calls for deporting foreign criminals in accordance with international law. The FDP supports a peaceful foreign policy, which increases the security of Switzerland and prevents an increasing amount of refugees.
The party is currently opposed to Swiss membership of the European Union
. In the 2001 referendum, the FDP campaigned against opening negotiations,
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
political party in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States
Swiss Council of States
The Council of States of Switzerland is the smaller chamber of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, and is considered the Assembly's upper house. There are 46 Councillors....
.
The party was formed on 1 January 2009, after two parties, the Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(FDP) and the smaller Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Switzerland
The Liberal Party of Switzerland was a party with economically liberal policies. It was known as a party of the upper class. On 1 January 2009 it merged with the larger Free Democratic Party to establish FDP.The Liberals....
, united. In Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
and Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, the parties retain separate organisations. Its youth organisation is Young Liberals
Young Liberals (Switzerland)
The Young Liberals of Switzerland , abbreviated to YLS, is the youth wing of FDP.The Liberals. It was founded in 1928 and, with more than 4,000 members aged between 15 and 35, it is the second-biggest youth party in...
. With 130,000 members as of 2010, the FDP has the most members of any party: 30% more than the second-placed CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
.
The party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
. The party's president is Fulvio Pelli
Fulvio Pelli
Fulvio Pelli is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss National Council , and president of the Free Democratic Party.-External links:*...
. The current FDP representatives in the Federal Council
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
are Didier Burkhalter
Didier Burkhalter
Didier Burkhalter is a Swiss politician of FDP.The Liberals. He is a member of the Swiss Federal Council who was elected on 16 September 2009, and succeeded Pascal Couchepin on 1 November 2009 when he became head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs .A native of the Canton of Neuchâtel, he...
and Johann Schneider-Ammann
Johann Schneider-Ammann
Johann Niklaus Schneider-Ammann is a Swiss businessman and politician. Member of the Free Democratic Party, he was elected to the Swiss National Council in 1999...
.
History
The party was formed in 2009 from the merger of the Free Democratic PartyFree Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(FDP) and the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Switzerland
The Liberal Party of Switzerland was a party with economically liberal policies. It was known as a party of the upper class. On 1 January 2009 it merged with the larger Free Democratic Party to establish FDP.The Liberals....
. The radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
Free Democratic Party, also called the 'Radicals', was Switzerland's major establishment party. Officially founded in 1894, the party's classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
predecessors had governed Switzerland outright for most of the 19th century, and had been the guiding force behind the creation of modern Switzerland. The Liberal Party, known as the 'Old Liberals', represented the French-speaking establishment: again rooted in the conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
of the nineteenth century. It also had a distinctly liberal Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
outlook.
In the 2003 federal election
Swiss federal election, 2003
Legislative elections in the Swiss Confederation were held on 19 October 2003. Although in Switzerland's peculiar political system, in which all four major parties form a coalition, it is very difficult to achieve a change of government, this election produced an upset in the strong showing of the...
, the two parties formed an electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
. In the election, the Liberals were reduced to four seats, below the five required to form an official grouping in the Federal Assembly, so the two formed a joint caucus. In June 2005, the two founded the Radical and Liberal Union, which aimed to promote liberal goals through deeper cooperation. In 2007, the women's arms of the parties merged, while the youth wings merged the following year to form the Young Liberals
Young Liberals
Young Liberals can mean the following:*Young Liberals , the youth wing of the Liberal Party of Australia* Young Liberals , a liberal party in Austria...
. Agreement on the merger of the federal parties was agreed in October 2008. The agreement was adopted on 28 February 2009, applying retroactively to 1 January 2009. FDP President Fulvio Pelli
Fulvio Pelli
Fulvio Pelli is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss National Council , and president of the Free Democratic Party.-External links:*...
of Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
became the party's first leader, while Liberal President Pierre Weiss was named one of four Vice-Presidents.
Separate Free Democrat and Liberal branches remained in competition with each other in Geneva
Canton of Geneva
The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France. As is the case in several other Swiss cantons The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland,...
, Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, and Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
. In May 2011, the party's two Geneva branches – Liberal Party of Geneva and Radical Party of Geneva – merged to form a single FDP.The Liberals cantonal branch.
Positions
As a classically liberal party the FDP wants to protect civil libertiesCivil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
and individual responsibility. The FDP calls for mutual tolerance of people with different opinions and self-identities, entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
, social responsibility
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
, the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and participatory democracy
Participatory democracy
Participatory Democracy, also known as Deliberative Democracy, Direct Democracy and Real Democracy , is a process where political decisions are made directly by regular people...
.
The party believes that an open society
Open society
The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson and then by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. In open societies, government is purported to be responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are said to be transparent and flexible...
and economic freedom
Economic freedom
Economic freedom is a term used in economic and policy debates. As with freedom generally, there are various definitions, but no universally accepted concept of economic freedom...
are more conducive to prosperity, and greater economic and social stability, than a redistributive
Redistribution (economics)
Redistribution of wealth is the transfer of income, wealth or property from some individuals to others caused by a social mechanism such as taxation, monetary policies, welfare, nationalization, charity, divorce or tort law. Most often it refers to progressive redistribution, from the rich to the...
and regulative
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
state. The FDP wants more freedom of choice rather than restrictions in all areas of private life. According to the party's stance, self-responsibility and competition should dictate the actions of individuals, not bans. The FDP wants to ensure that personal initiative is rewarded and not restricted by paternalism. Start-ups, particularly by young people, are to be encouraged.
The FDP works toward a society offering genuine opportunities with flexible choices in education, work, family support and education. It is also aiming at more and better jobs, a sustainable social welfare system which will result in strong national cohesion that counteracts see the divergence of society. This includes stabilizing premium costs in the healthcare sector and combating the abuse of social welfare systems, but also intergenerational equity
Intergenerational equity
Intergenerational equity in economic, psychological, and sociological contexts, is the concept or idea of fairness or justice in relationships between children, youth, adults and seniors, particularly in terms of treatment and interactions. It has been studied in environmental and sociological...
. The motto of the party in matters of social security is: "Solidarity where it is necessary" and "self-reliance where it is possible". As a profitable investment for the future of society, the FDP wants to promote the highest quality education at all levels, since it considers human capital the most important resource of Switzerland. It considers innovation as a crucial asset for prosperity and wants to improve the position of Switzerland as one of the leaders of innovation.
The party stands for a simple tax code, low taxes, and for tax competition among the cantons. It calls for a more citizen-friendly state without excessive bureaucracy and excessive regulation, a lean state with lower government spending, which offers only those services which citizens and the private sector cannot provide. The party, which calls for a competitive and sustainable market economy, wants to strengthen Switzerland as a financial and economic hub with little government interference as possible. It also calls for the reduction of public debt and fiscal deficits. In general, it believes that tax incentives are better than subsidies in creating incentives. The party sees in the current financial crisis an opportunity, to carry out financial and tax reforms quickly to improve situation of companies in Switzerland and to create 40,000 new jobs by 2015. The main objectives of energy policy
Energy policy
Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity has decided to address issues of energy development including energy production, distribution and consumption...
are security of energy supply, and increasing energy efficiency. The party wants to support the research of alternative sources of energy for electricity production which generate no carbon dioxide, however, it is against a carbon emissions tax.
The party wants to support the neutrality, the federalism, the direct democracy and the tax sovereignty of each canton. National security should be credibly guaranteed by a skilled, and strong militia. The party is for a "cosmopolitan Switzerland", which benefits from the opportunities that globalization provides. The FDP supports the close cooperation with the EU through bilateral treaties, but rejects accession to the EU. The immigration policy of the party is based on the integration of immigrants, requiring clear and effective rules by means of an "integration law". The FDP calls for consistent action against abuse of laws in Switzerland by immigrants, and in repeated cases calls for deporting foreign criminals in accordance with international law. The FDP supports a peaceful foreign policy, which increases the security of Switzerland and prevents an increasing amount of refugees.
The party is currently opposed to Swiss membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. In the 2001 referendum, the FDP campaigned against opening negotiations,