Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland (German: Grüne Partei der Schweiz; French: Les verts – Parti écologiste suisse; Italian: I Verdi – Partito ecologista svizzero; Romansh: La Verda – Partida ecologica svizra; "The Greens – Swiss ecologist party") is the fourth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.[6]
Green Party of Switzerland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| German name | Grüne Partei der Schweiz (GPS) |
| French name | Les verts – Parti écologiste suisse (PES) |
| Italian name | I Verdi – Partito ecologista svizzero (PES) |
| Romansh name | La Verda – Partida ecologica svizra |
| President | Balthasar Glättli (since 2020)[1] |
| Members of the Federal Council | None |
| Founded | 28 May 1983 |
| Headquarters | Waisenhausplatz 21 CH-3011 Bern |
| Membership (2015) | 7,500[2] |
| Ideology | Green politics[3] Progressivism Pro-Europeanism |
| Political position | Centre-left[4] to left-wing[4][5] |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| Colours | Green |
| National Council | 28 / 200 |
| Council of States | 5 / 46 |
| Cantonal Executives | 7 / 154 |
| Cantonal legislatures | 216 / 2,609 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Swiss Federal Council Federal Chancellor Federal Assembly Council of States (members) National Council (members) Voting | |
History
The first Green party in Switzerland was founded as a local party in 1971 in the town of Neuchâtel. In 1979, Daniel Brélaz was elected to the National Council as the first Green MP on the national level (in Switzerland and in the world). Local and regional Green parties and organisations were founded in many different towns and cantons in the following years.
In 1983, two different national green party federations were created: in May, diverse local green groups came together in Fribourg to form the Federation of Green Parties of Switzerland, and in June, some left-alternative groups formed the Green Alternative Party of Switzerland in Bern. In 1990, an attempt to combine these organisations failed. Afterward, some of the member groups from the Green Alternative Party joined the Federation of Green Parties which has become the de facto national Green party. In 1993, the Federation of Green Parties changed its name to the Green Party of Switzerland.[7]
In 1986, the first two Green members of a cantonal government become members of the Regierungsrat of Bern.
In 1987, the Green Party of Switzerland joined the European Federation of Green Parties.
In the 1990s, members of the Green Party became town mayors, members of the high court and even president of a cantonal government (Verena Diener in 1999).
In 2007, the centrist wing of the party split away and formed the Green Liberal Party of Switzerland.
Policies
The traditional emphases of the party's policies lie in environmentalism and green means of transportation. In terms of foreign policy, the greens set out on the course of openness and pacifism. In economic policy, the greens are centre-left. The majority of greens support an accession of Switzerland to the European Union. In immigration policy, the greens support further integration initiatives for immigrants. The greens support measures to increase energy efficiency, oppose nuclear power, and support raising energy and fuel prices. According to their policy, the resulting revenues should be allocated to social security spending.
Popular support
National Council and Council of States
| Election year | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | # of National Council seats won |
+/- | # of Council of States seats won |
+/- | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 11,583 | 0.6 | 1 / 200 |
0 / 46 |
|||
| 1983 | 37,079 | 1.9 | 3 / 200 |
 2 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 1987 | 94,378 | 4.9 | 9 / 200 |
6 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 1991 | 124,149 | 6.1 | 14 / 200 |
5 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 1995 | 96,069 | 5.0 | 8 / 200 |
 6 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 1999 | 96,807 | 5.0 | 8 / 200 |
 0 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 2003 | 156,226 | 7.4 | 13 / 200 |
5 |
0 / 46 |
||
| 2007 | 222,206 | 9.6 | 20 / 200 |
7 |
2 / 46 |
2 |
|
| 2011 | 205,984 | 8.4 | 15 / 200 |
5 |
2 / 46 |
0 |
|
| 2015[8] | 177,938 | 7.1 | 11 / 200 |
4 |
1 / 46 |
1 |
|
| 2019 | 319,988 | 13.2 | 28 / 200 |
17 |
5 / 46 |
4 |
On the national level, in 2003 the Green Party was not represented in the Council of States or Federal Council. In 2007, two Green Party members were elected to the Council of States.[9]
By 2005, the party held 3.8 percent of the seats in the Swiss cantonal executive governments and 6.9 percent in the Swiss cantonal parliaments (index "BADAC", weighted with the population and number of seats). In 2007, the Green Party was represented in the governments of the cantons Bern, Basel-City, Geneva (two ministers), Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Vaud, Zug (two ministers) and Zurich.[10]
Party strength over time
| Canton | 1971 | 1975 | 1979 | 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | * | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 9.6 | 8.4 | 7.1 | 13.2 |
| Zürich | *a | * | 1.3 | 4.2 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 8.5 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 6.9 | 14.1 |
| Bern | * | * | * | * | 9.2 | 9.9 | 5.9 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 12.9 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 13.6 |
| Lucerne | * | * | * | * | * | 9.3 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 12.2 |
| Uri | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30.6 | * | * | 26.3 | * |
| Schwyz | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3.4 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Obwalden | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Nidwalden | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 19.6 | * | * |
| Glarus | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Zug | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 17.0 | 15.4 | 7.2 | 19.2 |
| Freiburg | * | * | * | * | 4.2 | * | 2.3 | * | 4.0 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 12.5 |
| Solothurn | * | * | * | * | * | 7.3 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 5.6 | 11.4 |
| Basel-Stadt | * | * | * | * | 1.1 | 4.4 | 5.6 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 12.1 | 13.4 | 11.2 | 17.7 |
| Basel-Landschaft | * | * | * | 1.9 | 6.9 | 11.0 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 12.6 | 13.8 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 18.0 |
| Schaffhausen | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3.4 | 6.8 |
| Appenzell A.Rh. | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6.4 | * | * |
| Appenzell I.Rh. | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| St. Gallen | * | * | * | * | * | 6.2 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 7.1 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 5.7 | 10.5 |
| Graubünden | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3.5 | * | * | * | 2.2 | * | 5.5 |
| Aargau | * | * | * | * | * | 6.8 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 9.8 |
| Thurgau | * | * | * | 5.9 | 10.8 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 6.2 | 7.9 | 10.2 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 10.6 |
| Ticino | * | * | * | * | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 3.5 | 12.1 |
| Vaud | * | 1.0 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 4.1 | 7.1 | 11.3 | 14.3 | 11.6 | 11.3 | 19.7 |
| Valais | * | * | * | * | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 10.6 |
| Neuchâtel | * | * | * | 7.4 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 5.9 | 14.7 | 13.8 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 9.3 | 20.8 |
| Genève | * | * | * | 7.6 | 11.5 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 8.2 | 11.2 | 16.4 | 14.0 | 11.5 | 24.6 |
| Jura | b | b | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | 11.0 | 7.3 | 15.6 |
Party presidents
This is an incomplete list of the presidents of the Green Party:
- Ruth Genner (2001–2008)
- Ueli Leuenberger (2008–2012)
- Adèle Thorens Goumaz (co-president; 2012–2016)
- Regula Rytz (2012–2020; co-president until 2016)
- Balthasar Glättli (2020–present)
See also
Notes and references
- Medienmitteilung: Balthasar Glättli neuer Präsident der GRÜNEN (in German)
- The Swiss Confederation — A Brief Guide. Federal Chancellery. 2015. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Switzerland". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- "Appendix A3: Political Parties" (PDF). European Social Survey (8th ed.). 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2018.
- Federal Chancellery, Communication Support (2016). The Swiss Confederation – a brief guide. Switzerland: Swiss Confederation. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- "Switzerland | Left of Centre | The Green Party of Switzerland | Trade Bridge Consultants". tradebridgeconsultants.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- Lucardie, Paul (5 December 2016). Green Parties in Transition: The End of Grass-roots Democracy?. Routledge. ISBN 9781351932110.
- Bundesamt für Statistik. "Nationalratswahlen: Übersicht Schweiz". Archived from the original on 20 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- NZZ Online, 11 November 2007 (German)
- Church, Clive (October 2007). "ELECTION BRIEFING No 39 EUROPE AND THE SWISS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 21OCTOBER 2007". Retrieved 30 May 2017.
- Nationalratswahlen: Kantonale Parteistärke, zusammengefasst nach Parteien (Kanton = 100%) (Report). Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 2015.
- https://www.wahlen.admin.ch/de/
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Green Party of Switzerland. |
- Green Party of Switzerland (official site) (in German and French)
- Swiss Greens International
- Green Party in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
| National Council (200 seats) |
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| Council of States (46 seats) |
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