Grand Council of Geneva election, 2009
Encyclopedia
The 2009 election to the Grand Council was held in the canton of Geneva
, Switzerland
, on 11 October 2009. All 100 members of the Grand Council
were elected for four-year terms.
The Liberal Party
remained the largest party, with twenty seats, having lost three since 2005. The centre-right
'Entente', between the Liberals, Free Democratic Party
, and Christian Democrats
lost a total of five seats. The main winners were the populist
Geneva Citizens' Movement, who almost doubled their number of seats to draw level with the Green Party
as the second-largest contingent. The far left
alliance between solidaritéS and the Swiss Party of Labour failed to overcome the 7% threshold for representation, despite each having each separately received more than 6% at the 2005 election.
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,...
, 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....
, on 11 October 2009. All 100 members of the Grand Council
Grand Council of Geneva
The Grand Council of Geneva is the legislature of the canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. Geneva, styled as a 'Republic and Canton', has a unicameral legislature. The Grand Council has 100 seats, with members elected every four years...
were elected for four-year terms.
The Liberal Party
Parti Libéral Genevois
The Liberal Party of Geneva , abbreviated PLG, was a classical liberal political party in the Canton of Geneva. It was the cantonal branch of the Liberal Party of Switzerland until 1 January 2009, when the federal party merged with the Free Democratic Party to form FDP.The Liberals...
remained the largest party, with twenty seats, having lost three since 2005. The centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
'Entente', between the Liberals, 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....
, and Christian Democrats
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...
lost a total of five seats. The main winners were the populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
Geneva Citizens' Movement, who almost doubled their number of seats to draw level with the Green Party
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
as the second-largest contingent. The far left
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
alliance between solidaritéS and the Swiss Party of Labour failed to overcome the 7% threshold for representation, despite each having each separately received more than 6% at the 2005 election.