===Largest party in Switzerland and strong right-wing force===
[[File:CHbezirke 110211 SVP.png|thumb|200px|Electoral performance of the SVP in cantonal districts in the 2011 federal election.]]
After the 2003 election, after the SVP received 26.7 percent of the popular vote, by then clearly the largest party in the nation.<ref name="2003 results"/> It received a second seat on the Federal Council with [[Christoph Blocher]] holding that seat.<ref name="pp.134">Skenderovic, pp. 134.</ref> He was not re-elected in 2007<ref name="pp.134"/> and was replaced by Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. Schlumpf and her colliege, Samuel Schmid, were politically moderate and were expelled by the party soon afterward,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7141897.stm Far-right leaves Swiss government]. ''BBC News''. December 13, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2016.</ref> forming the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP).<ref name="pp.134"/> Despite its name, it is not a real conservative party and supports socially liberals liberal 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,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7775051.stm Swiss far-right win cabinet post]. ''BBC News''. December 10, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2016.</ref> 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.<ref>Mombelli, Armando (December 10, 2015). [http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/cabinet-elections_how-will-new-ingredients-change--magic-formula--/41825058 People’s Party gains second seat in cabinet]. ''Swissinfo''. Retrieved October 10, 2016.</ref>
The SVP received 29.4 percent of the vote in the 2015 federal election and 65 seats in the 200-seat National Council, a record amount for the party.<ref name="SlideToRight">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/11939953/Anti-immigration-party-wins-Swiss-election-in-slide-to-the-Right.html Anti-immigration party wins Swiss election in 'slide to the Right']. ''The Telegraph'' (originally by ''Reuters''). October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2016.</ref> No Swiss political party had exceeded the SVP's share of the vote in at least a century, and no party received more seats in the National Council since 1965, when the number of seats was established at 200.<ref name="SlideToRight"/> In the same election, [[leftist]] parties lost a large number of seats.<ref name="SlideToRight"/><ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/10/19/swiss-parliament-shifts-to-right-in-vote-dominated-by-migrant-surge/ Swiss Parliament Shifts To Right In Vote Dominated By Migrant Surge]. ''Breitbart'' (by ''AFP''). October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2016.</ref>