The Centre (political party)

Last updated

The Centre
Die Mitte (German)
Le Centre (French)
il Centro (Italian)
il Center (Romansh)
President Gerhard Pfister
Members in Federal Council Viola Amherd
Founded1 January 2021 (2021-01-01)
Merger of CVP
BDP
Youth wing Young Centre / Centre Youth
German: Die Junge Mitte
French: Jeunes du Centre
Italian: Giovani del Centro
Romansh: Il Giuven Center
Ideology Christian democracy [1]
Political position Centre to centre-right
European affiliation European People's Party (associate)
Colours  Orange
SloganFreedom. Solidarity. Responsibility.
Federal Council
1 / 7
National Council
29 / 200
Council of States
15 / 46
Cantonal executives
40 / 154
Cantonal legislatures
425 / 2,544
Website
die-mitte.ch (German)
le-centre.ch (French)

The Centre (German : Die Mitte; French : Le Centre; Italian : il Centro; Romansh : il Center) is a centre to centre-right [2] political party in Switzerland. It was formed through the merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland (CVP/PDC) and the Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP/PBD). Following the formal merger of the parties on 1 January 2021, [3] it has 29 of 200 seats in the National Council and 15 of 46 seats in the Council of States. Viola Amherd is the party's representative on the Federal Council and currently serves as the President of the Swiss Confederation until her term expires on January 1, 2025.

Contents

History

The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland (CVP) was founded in 1912 as the Catholic Conservative Party of Switzerland, becoming the Conservative-Christian-Social People's Party in 1957. In 1970, the name changed to the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland. [4] Over time, the party's dependence on Catholic and rural voters resulted in a deterioration of its vote share nationally, but most especially in urban areas. In the four largest cantons of Zürich, Bern, Vaud and Aargau, the CVP held only three of 94 seats in the National Council. [4] It later ceded one of its two seats on the Federal Council to the SVP in accordance with the Magic formula used to derive party strength on the nation's executive. [5] From the 1995 election to the 2019 election, the CVP's vote share decreased from 16.8% to 11.4%. [6] After the 2003 election, Ruth Metzler of the CVP, was replaced by Christoph Blocher of the Swiss People's Party on the Federal Council, leaving the CVP with only one seat in the country's executive. [7]

The Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP) was founded on 1 November 2008 after moderate members of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), who supported the election of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf over SVP leader Christoph Blocher to the Federal Council, were expelled by the national SVP and formed the new party. [8] [9] It remained a regional party with strength in Bern, Glarus and Grisons, but little support elsewhere in the country. [10] [11]

The parties had discussed a political alliance similar to that of the CDU/CSU in Germany from 2012 to 2014, but those negotiations failed. BDP President Martin Landolt openly discussed a merger after the 2019 elections when both parties saw their share of the vote drop from 2015. [12] The parties agreed to a merger in September 2020 and both ratified the merger during 2020. [13] [14] [15] [16] The primary opposition to the change was among members who did not want to drop the "Christian" affiliation for the party. [4] Cantonal parties were not required to adopt the new name if they do not wish to do so. [6] However, the parties will be asked to make a decision on the name within five years of the national change. The party in the Canton of Valais rejected the change, voting to remain as the CVP. [17] The CVP of Aargau, however, moved forward before the national party and contested the November 2020 elections to the Grand Council of Aargau as "CVP –Die Mitte". [18]

Elections

In the 2019 Swiss federal election, the CVP tallied 11.6% of the vote for the National Council with 25 members, while the BDP won 2.4% and had three members. For elections to the Council of States, the CVP had 13 members. Combined, The Centre has 28 members in the National Council, placing it in a tie for fourth-largest in the lower house. It retains its status as the largest party in the upper house.

Election results

National Council

ElectionVotes %Seats+/–
2023 359,07514.06 (#4)
29 / 200
New

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Council (Switzerland)</span> Federal government of Switzerland

The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since after World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand coalition government composed of representatives of the country's major parties and language regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Schmid</span> 88th President of the Swiss Confederation

Samuel Schmid is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2000 to 2008. He was the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss People's Party</span> Swiss political party

The Swiss People's Party, also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre, is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Marcel Dettling, it is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 62 members of the National Council and 6 of the Council of States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland</span> Former Swiss political party

The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland, also called the Christian Democratic Party, Democratic People's Party and Swiss Christian Democratic Party, was a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. On 1 January 2021, it merged with the Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP/PBD) to form The Centre, which now operates at the federal level. The Christian Democratic People's Party will continue to exist at the cantonal level as individual local and regional parties determine their status. Its 28 seats in the National Council and 13 seats in the Council of States were transferred to the new party, as was its sole seat on the Federal Council, held by Viola Amherd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic formula (Swiss politics)</span> Agreement in Swiss politics

In Swiss politics, the magic formula is an arithmetic formula for dividing the seven executive seats on the Federal Council among the four coalition parties. The formula was first applied in 1959. It gave the Free Democratic Party, the Catholic Conservative Party and the Social Democratic Party two seats each, while the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents received one seat.

On December 12, 2007, all seven members of the Federal Council, the government of Switzerland, were elected by the joint chambers of the Federal Assembly for the 2008–2012 term of office. Councillors are elected individually by an absolute majority of votes, with the incumbent councillors defending their seats in descending order of seniority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf</span> 92nd President of the Swiss Confederation

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2008 to 2015. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) until 2008, she was then a member of the splinter Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) until 2021, when that party merged into The Centre. Widmer-Schlumpf was the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police from 2008 to 2010, when she became head of the Federal Department of Finance. She served as President of the Swiss Confederation in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland</span> Swiss political party

The Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland was a conservative political party in Switzerland from 2008 to 2020. After the 2019 federal election, the BDP had three members in the National Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Swiss Federal Council election</span>

On 10 December 2008, the Swiss Federal Assembly elected Ueli Maurer as successor to Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid. Schmid resigned on 12 November 2008 after a number of controversies, officially citing health and personal reasons. Maurer took office on 1 January 2009.

A by-election to the Swiss Federal Council was held in Switzerland on 16 September 2009, after incumbent Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin announced his intention to retire on 31 October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Swiss federal election</span> Federal elections held in Switzerland

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011. All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States.

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the government of Switzerland, was held on 14 December 2011, following the federal election on 23 October 2011. Micheline Calmy-Rey announced she would not run for re-election to the council. According to a traditional informal convention, the successor has to come from the French-speaking or Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The candidates for her post announced by their respective cantonal sections are Alain Berset (Fribourg), Pierre-Yves Maillard (Vaud), Stéphane Rossini (Valais), and Marina Carobbio (Ticino).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Swiss Federal Council election</span>

An election for all seven members of the Federal Council, the Government of Switzerland, was held on 9 December 2015, following the federal election on 19 October 2015, for the 2016–2020 term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viola Amherd</span> Swiss Federal Councillor since 2019

Viola Patricia Amherd is a Swiss politician who has served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2019, and as President of the Swiss Confederation for 2024 since 1 January. She is the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. Amherd was a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) before it merged with the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) to form The Centre (DM/LC) in 2021, which she joined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Chiesa</span> Swiss politician (born 1974)

Marco Chiesa is a Swiss politician who presided over the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) from 2020 to 2024. He served as a member of the Grand Council of Ticino from 2007 to 2015 and National Council from 2015 to 2019. Chiesa has been a member of the Council of States since 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marianne Binder-Keller</span> Swiss politician (born 1958)

Marianne Binder-Keller is a Swiss communications professional and politician who currently serves as member of the National Council (Switzerland) for The Centre since 2019. Binder-Keller currently is a member-elect of the Council of States (Switzerland) after being elected during the second ballot in the 2023 Swiss federal election which was held on 19 November 2023. She defeated Benjamin Giezendanner by roughly 5,000 votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Zürich cantonal elections</span>

The 2023 Zürich cantonal elections were held on 12 February 2023 to elect the seven members of the cantonal Executive Council and the 180 members of the Cantonal Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Friedli</span> Swiss politician (born 1977)

Esther Barbara Friedli is a Swiss politician who currently serves on the Council of States (Switzerland) on 30 April 2023 and assumed office on 30 May 2023. She previously served on the National Council (Switzerland) for the Swiss People's Party since 2019. She is the domestic partner of Toni Brunner, former president of the Swiss People's Party and also a member of the National Council. Between 2008 and 2014, Friedli served as the secretary general of the Department of Education of the Canton of St. Gallen.

References

  1. ↑ "Jahr der Weichenstellungen – für die Schweiz und "Die Mitte"". Konrad Adenauer Foundation . 12 February 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Switzerland". Europe Elects . Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Europe Elects [@EuropeElects] (2 January 2021). "Switzerland: Yesterday, CVP (EPP) and BDP (*) merged" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022– via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 3 "Es ist entschieden: Die CVP beerdigt das "C" – jetzt peilt "Die Mitte" zwei Bundesratssitze an". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). 28 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Federal councillors and their parties". Swiss Government. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Die CVP soll neu "Die Mitte" heissen" (in German). SRF. 4 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Assemblée du PDC: «Le Centre peut atteindre 20% et se renforcer à l'exécutif en 2027»". Le Nouvelliste (in French). 5 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Die BDP Schweiz wird am 1. November gegründet". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 30 August 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Profile - Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf". Reuters. 12 January 2012.
  10. ↑ Nationalratswahlen: Kantonale Parteistärke, zusammengefasst nach Parteien (Kanton = 100%) (Report). Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "Die CVP heisst ab 2021 «Die Mitte» – die Parteibasis gibt dem neuen Namen ihren Segen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 27 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Adrian Arnold (26 October 2019). "CVP, EVP und BDP verhandeln - Ein neues starkes Mittebündnis?" (in German). SRF.
  13. ↑ "Die CVP heisst endgültig "Die Mitte" – und fusioniert mit der BDP" (in German). SRF. 28 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "CVP schliesst sich mit BDP zur "Die Mitte" zusammen". Swissinfo (in German). 28 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "BDP-Delegierte sagen Ja zum Zusammenschluss mit der CVP". Suedostschweiz (in German). 14 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  16. ↑ Wientzek, Olaf (1 December 2020). "Historic day for Swiss Christian Democrats – Merger and Farewell to the "C"". Konrad Adenauer Foundation . Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  17. ↑ ""Die Mitte" statt CVP: Mitglieder wollen neuen Namen" (in German). SRF. 27 October 2020.
  18. ↑ ""Die Mitte": Kantonalparteien dürften Mutterpartei folgen". Kath.ch (in German). 2 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.