Swiss democrats

History

It is founded in 1961 by the preserving Zurichois and isolationist Fritz Meier, future to advise national, under the denomination of National action against the foreign influence of the people and the fatherland or National action against foreign overpopulation (according to the translation) (in German Nationale Aktion gegen Überfremdung von Volk und Heimat ).

Initially limited in the German-speaking Switzerland, the party began its French ground establishment while making elect a national adviser Vaud ois in 1971. One also counts 9 elected officials in 1973 and 16 elected officials in 1985 at the Town council of Lausanne whose manpower is of 100 members. The creation of the party was a reaction on arrival of foreign workers, Italian especially (Xénophobie), whose surge was caused by the request of the mediums of contractors related to the radical party during the boom conditions. Mainly committed in the field of construction and hotel trade.

In 1991, the party obtains 5 seats but in 1995, it loses 2 of them. Since 1999, the party counts nothing any more but one elected official at the Parliament, the Bern ois Bernhard Hess, which becomes the new president of the party in 2005. This last is not re-elected in 2007, and the DS thus are not represented any more at the Parliament.

In 2005, the party had lost its 4 seats at the Parliament of Argovie, 5 seats to be established to 4 with Basle-Countryside, its 5 seats with Basle-City, 1 of its 2 seats with Zurich, but keeping its 3 seats with Bern.

Political orientation

Populist party of extreme-right-hand side, the DS are hostile with foreign immigration like with the European Union and UNO. The slogan of the countryside of 2003 was " Switzerland initially! " The logo of the party is a red heartwood of beech with in its center the Swiss cross.

Its first deputy at the National council is James Schwarzenbach in 1967. Its initiative requiring that the foreign population not exceed 10% of the Swiss population is rejected the June 7th 1970 by 54% of the voices. All the cantons of the center of Switzerland accept it whereas paradoxically the cantons with the strongest foreign population reject it. Schwarzenbach then takes its distances with its own movement but does not chair of it less the republican parliamentarian group and national after the elections of 1971. This group counted 4 members of the National action and 7 republicans.

A second initiative is launched by the national adviser Valentine Oehen and is pushed back in 1974 by a clear majority of the voters. The party takes in 1990 the name of Swiss Démocrates . He arrives per moments to set up a parliamentary group in 1983 - 1986 with the Vigilants, in 1991 with the Lega dei Ticinesi, like in 1994 - 1995 and 1997 - 1999. He still has a representative at the National council in 2003. This party launches the Référendum against the agreement on the extension of the free-circulation of the people to the 10 new Member States of the European Union (vote of the September 25th 2005). Its political space is gradually removed to him by the democratic Union of the center.

The Swiss democrats are rather sensitive on questions of ecology by refusing the nuclear power, by refusing the initiative " Avanti - for sure highways and performantes" in particular proposing a second tube for the tunnel of Gothard, by accepting an initiative for " one Sunday without car by saison" , or by supporting initiative anti-GMO " For food produced without handling génétiques."

The DS launched a federal popular initiative in 1990 " for one feastday national férié" who accepted popular approval in 1993 with 83,8% and was one of the rare initiatives accepted by the Swiss People.

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