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.
