The Liberals (Switzerland)
FDP.The Liberals (German: FDP.Die Liberalen, French: PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux, lit. 'LRP.The Liberal-Radicals', Italian: PLR.I Liberali Radicali, Romansh: PLD.Ils Liberals) is a liberal political party in Switzerland. It is tied for the largest party in the Federal Council, is the third-largest party in the National Council and is the second-largest in the Council of States.
Logo of the party in German, French, Italian, and Romansh | |
| President | Thierry Burkart |
| Federal Councillors | |
| Founded | 1 January 2009 |
| Merger of | Free Democratic Party, Liberal Party |
| Headquarters | Neuengasse 20 Postfach 6136 CH-3001 Bern |
| Youth wing | Young Liberals |
| Membership (2015) | 120,000 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party |
| International affiliation | Liberal International |
| Colours | Azure |
| Federal Council | 2 / 7 |
| National Council | 28 / 200 |
| Council of States | 11 / 46 |
| Cantonal executives | 42 / 154 |
| Cantonal legislatures | 557 / 2,609 |
| Website | |
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The party was formed on 1 January 2009, after two parties, the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) and the smaller Liberal Party (LPS/PLS), united. In Vaud and Valais, the parties retain separate organisations. Its youth organisation is Young Liberals. With 120,000 members as of 2015, the FDP has the most members of any party: 20% more than the second-placed Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland (CVP/PDC).
The party is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) and an observer member of the Liberal International. The party's president is Petra Gössi. The current FDP representatives in the Federal Council are Ignazio Cassis and Karin Keller-Sutter.