Switzerland after the Second World War Part III

In the National Council elections on October 23, 2011, the SVP lost eight of its previous 62 seats. Also FDP. The Liberals and CVP suffered losses. The BDP and GLP both saw an increase in votes. Although the SVP remained the strongest party, it did not succeed in pushing through a second Federal Council in the Federal Council elections on December 14, 2011. An initiative by the SVP to have the Federal Council directly elected in the future failed in a referendum on June 9, 2013. In September 2013, 73.2% of citizens voted against the abolition of compulsory military service in a referendum. A narrow majority of the electorate (50.3%) and 17 of the 26 cantons supported an initiative against mass immigration launched by the SVP on February 9, 2014, which included maximum annual numbers and quotas for immigration as well as priority for Swiss people in the allocation of jobs. In May 2014, in a referendum, an initiative to introduce a statutory minimum wage of CHF 4,000 a month failed. 76.3% of the electorate spoke out against it. The decision of the Swiss National Bank on January 15, 2015 to lift the minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20 to the euro introduced in September 2011 with immediate effect led to considerable turbulence in the financial markets.

In the National Council elections on October 18, 2015, the right-wing national SVP, which campaigned for a further tightening of the asylum law, was able to expand its leading position. It won 29.4% of the vote and 65 seats (2011: 26.6% and 54 seats). The FDP also emerged stronger from the elections with 16.4% of the votes and 33 seats (2011: 15.1% and 30 seats). The SP, CVP, BDP and Greens lost seats. On December 9, 2015, the Federal Assembly elected SVP politician G. Parmelin tosucceed E. Widmer-Schlumpf, who had announced her resignationin the Federal Council. The composition of the government thus again corresponded to the principle of concordance implemented with the help of the magic formula, according to which the three strongest parties (SVP, SP, FDP) have two federal councilors. The fourth strongest party (CVP) provided a Federal Council. On February 28, 2016, 58.9% of the electorate rejected the automatic expulsion of non-Swiss people who had committed criminal offenses. With the so-called enforcement initiative, the SVP wanted to end the previous case-by-case examination and enable expulsion even in the case of minor offenses in the event of recurrence. A broad alliance of social groups was essential for the rejection. On June 5, 2016, the popular initiative to introduce an unconditional basic income was clearly rejected with 76.9%. In 2016, parliament approved a law to implement the mass immigration initiative implemented by the SVP in 2014 and stipulated that if immigration exceeded a threshold set by the government, residents should be given a certain priority in the labor market. The introduction of maximum numbers and quotas required by the SVP was waived in order not to endanger the bilateral agreements with the EU. On May 21, 2017, a majority of around 58.2% of those entitled to vote voted for a revised Energy Act that prohibits the construction of new nuclear power plants and promotes the expansion of renewable energies.

According to ehealthfacts, the “No Billag Initiative” initiated by the SVP, which aimed to abolish radio and television fees, was rejected on March 4th, 2018 by 71.6% of the voters and all cantons, as was their attempt on November 25th, 2018 To give the Swiss Federal Constitution’s “self-determination initiative” priority over international law (66.3% no, all cantons).

From the National Council elections on October 20, 2019, which were also dominated by the climate debate, the green parties emerged significantly stronger (Greens: 13.2%, Green liberals: 6.2%), while almost all the other parties suffered losses. However, they were unable to win a seat on the Federal Council. Despite a loss of votes, the SVP remained by far the strongest force with 25.2%. An initiative brought in by the Swiss Tenants’ Association, »More affordable apartments«, which was also supported by the SP and which provided for the strengthening of non-profit housing developers, failed in the referendum on 9 February 2020 (57.1% no) and because of the majority.

Swiss Federal Councilors

Federal Councilors 1)
Surname Federal Council 2) Political party Federal President
G. Motta 1912-40 KCVP 1915, 1920, 1927, 1932, 1937
E. Schulthess 1912-35 FDP 1917, 1921, 1928, 1933
F. Calonder 1913-20 FDP 1918
R. Haab 1918-29 FDP 1922, 1929
K. Scheurer 1920–29 3) FDP 1923
E. Chuard 1920-28 FDP 1924
J.-M. Musy 1920-34 KCVP 1925, 1930
H. Häberlin 1920-34 FDP 1926, 1931
M. Pilet-Golaz 1929-44 FDP 1934, 1940
R. Minger 1930-40 BGB 1935
A. Meyer 1930-38 FDP 1936
J. Baumann 1934-40 FDP 1938
P. Etter 1934-59 KCVP 1939, 1942, 1947, 1953
H. Obrecht 1935-40 FDP
E. Weather 1939-43 FDP 1941
E. Celio 1940-50 KCVP 1943, 1948
W. Stampfli 1940-47 FDP 1944
E. von Steiger 1941-51 BGB 1945, 1951
K. Kobelt 1941-54 FDP 1946, 1952
E. Nobs 1944-51 PLC 1949
M. Petitpierre 1945-61 FDP 1950, 1955, 1960
R. Rubattel 1948-54 FDP 1954
J. Escher 1950-54 KCVP
M. Weber 1952-53 PLC
M. Feldmann 1952–58 2) BGB 1956
H. Streuli 1954-59 FDP 1957
P. Chaudet 1955-66 FDP 1959, 1962
G. Lepori 1955-59 KCVP
T. Holenstein 1955-59 KCVP 1958
FT elections 1959-65 BGB 1961
J. Bourgknecht 1960-62 KCVP
L. von Moos 1960-71 KCVP 1964, 1969
W. Spuhler 1960-70 PLC 1963, 1968
HP Tschudi 1960-73 PLC 1965, 1970
H. Schaffner 1961-69 FDP 1966
R. Bonvin 1962-73 CVP 1967, 1973
R. Gnägli 1966-79 SVP 1971, 1976
N. Celio 1967-73 FDP 1972
E. Brugger 1970-77 FDP 1974
P. Graber 1970-77 PLC 1975
K. Furgler 1972-86 CVP 1977, 1981, 1985
G.-A. Chevallaz 1974-83 FDP 1980
H. Hürlimann 1974-82 CVP 1979
W. Ritschard 1974–83 3) PLC 1978
P. Aubert 1978-87 PLC 1983, 1987
F. Honegger 1978-82 FDP 1982
L. Smurf 1980-87 SVP 1984
A. Egli 1983-86 CVP 1986
O. stitch 1984-95 PLC 1988, 1994
R. Friedrich 1983-84 FDP
J.-P. Delamuraz 1984–98 2) FDP 1989, 1996
E. Kopp 1984-89 FDP
A. Koller 1987-99 CVP 1990, 1997
F. Cotti 1987-99 CVP 1991, 1998
R. Felber 1988-93 PLC 1992
A. Ogi 1988-2000 SVP 1993, 2000
K. Villiger 1989-2003 FDP 1995, 2002
R. Dreifuss 1993-2002 PLC 1999
M. Leuenberger 1995-2010 PLC 2001, 2006
P. Couchepin 1998-2009 FDP 2003, 2008
R. Metzler-Arnold 1999-2003 CVP
J. Deiss 1999-2006 4) CVP 2004
S. Schmid 2001-08 SVP 6) 2005
M. Calmy-Rey 2003-11 PLC 2007, 2011
C. Blocher 2004-07 SVP
MR. Merz 2004-10 FDP 2009
D. Leuthard since 2006 5) CVP 2010, 2017
E. Widmer-Schlumpf 2008–15 2) BDP 6) 2012
U. Mason since 2009 SVP 2013, 2019
D. Burkhalter 2009-17 FDP 2014
JN Schneider-Ammann since 2010 FDP 2016
S. Sommaruga since 2010 PLC 2015
A. Berset since 2012 PLC 2018
G. Parmelin since 2016 SVP
I. Cassis since 2017 FDP
K. Keller-Sutter since 2019 FDP / SG
V. Amherd since 2019 CVP / VS
1) Selection (1848–1911 not taken into account; complete from 1918).2) Information from taking office until resignation (election often at the beginning of December of the previous year; regular resignation often on December 31 of the specified year).

3) Died in office.

4) In office until July.

5) Election on June 14, 2006.

6) SVP until the beginning of June 2008, non-attached from December 2007.

Switzerland after the Second World War 3