SWITZERLAND (non-EU)

Party: Swiss People's Party / Union Democratique du Centre (SVP/UDC)  

Leader: Albert Rösti (President) and Marco Chiesa (Group leader)

Type leader: The Swiss political system is a federalist model. The co-leaders and party support strong executive branch powers. Both Rösti and Chiesa are criticized by opponents for their strong opposition to immigration and asylum and their promotion of a narrow, exclusionary view of Swiss identity that has been branded racist, while promoting white European culture and opposing multiculturalism in Swiss society.

% National Vote: In October 2023 federal elections, SVP/UDC came in first overall with 27.9% of the national vote (with only 46% of eligible Swiss voters participating). SVP/UDC currently holds a plurality of 62 of 200 seats in the lower chamber of Parliament, the National Council, up from 53 after the 2019 elections, and six seats in the 46-seat upper chamber Council of States, representing cantons that make up Switzerland.   

Position in Government: SVP/UDC is currently the largest party in the Federal Assembly and holds 2 of 7 seats on the Federal Council (i.e., the collective head of state and government). 

Platform: SVP is known for its anti-immigration policies, strong Euroscepticism, and an emphasis on Swiss sovereignty and Swiss identity. 

European Parliament: The SVP/UDC and Switzerland are not members of the European Union, but the Swiss People’s Party has matched the EU’s economic sanctions on Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.