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The '''Swiss People's Party''' or '''Democratic Union of the Centre''' ([[German]]: ''Schweizerische Volkspartei'' - SVP, [[French]]: ''Union Démocratique du Centre'' - UDC, [[Italian]]: ''Unione Democratica di Centro'' - UDC, [[Romansch]]: ''Partida Populara Svizra'' - PPS) was founded in 1971 by the merger of the Farmers, Artisans, and Citizens’ Party—generally known as the Agrarian Party—with the Democratic Party. It has pursued [[conservative]] social and economic policies, including lower taxes and reduced spending, as well as the protection of Swiss agriculture and industry. The party has also opposed Swiss membership in international bodies such as the [[United Nations]], which Switzerland did not join until 2002.

The '''Swiss People's Party''' or '''Democratic Union of the Centre''' ([[German]]: ''Schweizerische Volkspartei'' - SVP, [[French]]: ''Union Démocratique du Centre'' - UDC, [[Italian]]: ''Unione Democratica di Centro'' - UDC, [[Romansch]]: ''Partida Populara Svizra'' - PPS) was founded in 1971 by the merger of the Farmers, Artisans, and Citizens’ Party—generally known as the Agrarian Party—with the Democratic Party. It has pursued [[conservative]] social and economic policies, including lower taxes and reduced spending, as well as the protection of Swiss agriculture and industry. The party has also opposed Swiss membership in international bodies such as the [[United Nations]], which Switzerland did not join until 2002.

Over the course of several recent elections, it has continually grown in power and (as of 2008) holds the most parliamentary seats of any party at the federal level. Its policies emphasize free market economics, low taxes, neutrality regarding foreign affairs, a tough stance on crime and a reduction of unwanted immigration. The party has enjoyed repeated success in mobilizing popular majorities for referenda and popular initiatives, often managing to set the political agenda against strong opposition from establishmnet elites.

Over the course of several recent elections, it has continually grown in power and (as of 2008) holds the most parliamentary seats of any party at the federal level. Its policies emphasize free market economics, low taxes, neutrality regarding foreign affairs, a tough stance on crime and a reduction of unwanted immigration. The party has enjoyed repeated success in mobilizing popular majorities for referenda and popular initiatives, often managing to set the political agenda against strong opposition from establishmnet elites.

In 2007 elections for the fourth election in a row the SVP won a significant, and largely unexpected victory. At the same time the liberal Social Democrats (SPS) did quite poorly; the SPS allies on the left, the Greens (GPS), did well.

 

After the 2003 election, after the SVP achieved another record victory, it received a second seat on the Federal Council with [[Christoph Blocher]] holding that seat. He was not re-elected in 2007 and was replaced by Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. Schlumpf and her colliege, Samuel Schmid, were politically moderate and were expelled by the party soon afterward, forming the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP). Despite its name, it is not a real conservative party and supports socially liberals policies, as well as Swiss integration into the EU. Due to scandals, Schmid resigned and was replaced by conservative SVP-member Ueli Maurer in 2009, and in 2015, the SVP regained its second seat after Schlumpf resigned due to a poor election result for her party and a record election result for the SVP.

 

The SVP received 29.4 percent of the vote in the 2015 federal election, a record amount for the party, and for a Swiss political party.

==See also==

==See also==