Swiss federal election, 2007

Swiss federal election, 2007

2003 ←
21 October, 11 November, 18 November and 25 November 2007
→ 2011

All 200 seats to the National Council of Switzerland
and 43 (of the 46) seats to the Swiss Council of States
  First party Second party
 
Leader Ueli Maurer Hans-Jürg Fehr
Party Swiss People's Party Social Democrats
Last election 55+8 seats, 26.6% 52+9 seats, 23.4%
Seats won 62 + 7 43 + 9
Seat change 6 9
Popular vote 672,562 451,916
Percentage 28.9% 19.5%
Swing 2.2% 3.8%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Fulvio Pelli Christophe Darbellay
Party Free Democrats Christian Democrats
Last election 36+14 seats, 17.3% 28+15 seats, 14.4%
Seats won 31 + 12 31 + 15
Seat change 7 3
Popular vote 364,736 335,623
Percentage 15.8% 14.5
Swing 1.3% 0.1%

Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007. For the 48th legislative term of the federal parliament (2007–2011), voters in 26 cantons elected all 200 members of the National Council as well as 43 out of 46 members of the Council of States. The other three members of the Council of States for that term of service were elected at an earlier date.[1]

On 12 December 2007, the newly elected legislature elected the Swiss federal government, the Swiss Federal Council, for a four-year-term.

The results reflected yet another rise in support for the strongest party, the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party, at 29% of the popular vote, and the growth of the Green and Green Liberal parties at the expense of the Social Democrats.[2]

Contents

National Council

The Swiss People's Party successfully came out of the election as the strongest party, rising another 2.3% to 29.0% of the popular vote. Among the left-wing parties, support of the Social Democrats eroded to the benefit of the Green and Green Liberal parties.

The right-wing parties won 64 seats made up of the SVP with 62 seats and a single seat of the Christian right Federal Democratic Union and the regional Ticino League respectively. The left-wing parties won 65 seats, with 43 of the Social Democrats, 20 of the Green party, and the Christian-left Christian Social Party and the far-left Labour Party with a single seat each. The centrist parties won 71 seats, with the CVP and the centre-right FDP each having won 31 seats, and the remaining 9 seats won by minor parties: Liberals, 4 seats; Green Liberals, 3 seats; Evangelical People's Party, 2 seats.

59 of 200 seats (29.5%) were won by women, as compared to 50 in 2003. Ricardo Lumengo (Social Democrats, born in Angola) is notable as the first black Swiss national councillor. 23 incumbents did not get re-elected and lost their mandate, among them Zürich right wing politician Ulrich Schlüer (SVP).The turnout of the election was 48,9% a rise of 3,7% from the previous elections in 2003.

Results

e • d Summary of the 21 October 2007 National Council of Switzerland election results
Parties Abbr. Ideology Votes  % +/– Seats +/–
Swiss People's Party SVP/UDC National conservatism 672,562 28.9 +2.2 62 +7
Social Democratic Party SPS/PSS Social democracy 451,916 19.5 –3.8 43 –9
Free Democratic Party FDP/PLR Classical liberalism, Radicalism 364,736 15.8 –1.3 31 –5
Christian Democratic People's Party CVP/PDC Christian democracy 335,623 14.5 +0.1 31 +3
Green Party GPS/PES Green politics 222,206 9.6 +2.2 20 +7
Liberal Party LPS/PLS Classical liberalism 41,682 1.9 –0.3 4 ±0
Green Liberal Party GLP/PVL Green liberalism 33,104 1.4 N/A 3 N/A
Evangelical People's Party EVP/PEV Christian democracy 56,748 2.4 +0.1 2 –1
Federal Democratic Union EDU/UDF Christian right 29,914 1.3 ±0.0 1 –1
Party of Labour PdA/PST-POP Communism 17,218 0.7 ±0.0 1 –1
Ticino League LdT National conservatism 13,031 0.6 +0.2 1 ±0
Christian Social Party CSP/PCS Christian left 9,984 0.4 ±0.0 1 ±0
Swiss Democrats SD/DS Nationalism 12,609 0.5 –0.5 0 –1
solidaritéS Sol Socialism 8,669 0.4 –0.1 0 –1
Alternative List AL Socialism 4,582 0.2 –0.3 0 ±0
Others 43,327 1.8 +0.2 0 ±0
Total (turnout 48.9%) 2,317,911 200
Source: http://www.politik-stat.ch/nrw2007CH_de.html

Council of States

Contrary to the developments in the National Council, the Council of States remains dominated by the traditional centrist parties FDP and CVP. Robert Cramer (Geneva) is the first member of the Green Party to be elected to the Council of States, joined in the second round by Luc Recordon of Vaud. Verena Diener (Zurich), formerly of the Green Party, wins a Council of States seat for the newly-founded Green Liberal Party. Christine Egerszegi of Aargau (FDP) is the first woman councillor elected in that canton.

Results

e • d Summary of the 21 October, 11 November, 18 November and 25 November 2007 Council of States of Switzerland election results
Parties Ideology 2003 Seats ±
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) Christian democracy 15 15 ±0
Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) Classical liberalism 14 12 –2
Social Democratic Party (SPS/PSS) Social democracy 9 9 ±0
Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) National conservatism 8 7 –1
Green Party (GPS/PES) Green politics 0 2 +2
Green Liberal Party (GLP/VL) Green liberalism 0 1 +1
Total 46 46
Source: http://www.politik-stat.ch/srw2007CH_de.html
Canton Seat 1 Party Seat 2 Party
Zurich Felix Gutzwiller Free Democrats Verena Diener Green Liberals
Bern Simonetta Sommaruga * Social Democrats Werner Luginbühl Swiss People's Party
Lucerne Helen Leumann-Würsch * Free Democrats Konrad Graber Christian Democrats
Uri Hansruedi Stadler * Christian Democrats Hansheiri Inderkum * Christian Democrats
Schwyz Alex Kuprecht * Swiss People's Party Bruno Frick * Christian Democrats
Obwalden Hans Hess * Free Democrats N/A
Nidwalden Paul Niederberger Christian Democrats N/A
Glarus Franz Schiesser * Free Democrats This Jenny * Swiss People's Party
Zug Peter Bieri *[1] Christian Democrats Rolf Schweiger *[1] Free Democrats
Fribourg Urs Schwaller * Christian Democrats Alain Berset * Social Democrats
Solothurn Rolf Büttiker * Free Democrats Ernst Leuenberger * Social Democrats
Basel-Stadt Anita Fetz * Social Democrats N/A
Basel-Landschaft Claude Janiak Social Democrats N/A
Schaffhausen Peter Briner * Free Democrats Hannes Germann * Swiss People's Party
Appenzell AI Ivo Bischofberger[1] Christian Democrats N/A
Appenzell AR Hans Altherr * Free Democrats N/A
St. Gallen Erika Forster * Free Democrats Eugen David * Christian Democrats
Graubünden Christoffel Brändli * Swiss People's Party Theo Maissen * Christian Democrats
Aargau Christine Egerszegi Free Democrats Maximilian Reimann * Swiss People's Party
Thurgau Philipp Stähelin * Christian Democrats Hermann Bürgi * Swiss People's Party
Ticino Dick Marty * Free Democrats Filippo Lombardi * Christian Democrats
Vaud Géraldine Savary Social Democrats Luc Recordon Greens
Valais Jean-René Fournier Christian Democrats René Imoberdorf Christian Democrats
Neuchâtel Didier Burkhalter Free Democrats Gisèle Ory * Social Democrats
Geneva Liliane Maury Pasquier Social Democrats Robert Cramer Greens
Jura Claude Hêche Social Democrats Anne Seydoux-Christe Christian Democrats
* indicates a candidate that was re-elected.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d The date of the election of the members of the Council of States is a matter of cantonal law. 24 cantons have chosen to let the elections coincide with the federally regulated National Council elections. Two cantons are electing their members of the Council of States at an earlier date: Zug reelected its incumbents Peter Bieri and Rolf Schweiger on 29 October 2006, while Appenzell Innerrhoden elected Ivo Bischofsberger as its one representative in that Council on 29 April 2007.
  2. ^ main migration of voters was from SPS to GPS and GLP. Minor movements from CVP to GLP, and some migration from all of SPS, CVP and FDP to SVP [1]

External links