Freedom Party of Switzerland
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Freedom Party of Switzerland
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| German name | Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz (FPS) |
| French name | Parti Suisse de la Liberté (PSL) |
| Italian name | Partito svizzero della Libertà (PSL) |
| Romansh name | Partida Svizra da la Libertad (PSL) |
| President | Jürg Scherrer |
| Members of the Federal Council | None |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Bern |
| Ideology |
Nationalism, Conservatism, National conservatism, Right-wing populism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| European affiliation | None |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colours | Red, Black |
| Website | |
| http://www.freiheits-partei.ch/ | |
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Swiss Federal Council Federal Chancellor Federal Assembly Council of States (members) National Council (members) Voting |
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The Freedom Party of Switzerland (FPS) (German: Freiheits-Partei der Schweiz; French: Parti suisse de la liberté / PSL) is a minor populist right-wing political party in Switzerland. Its president and leading representative is Jürg Scherrer, formerly the head of the security department in the city government of Biel/Bienne until 2008.
The FPS was founded 1984 in Zürich by Dr. Michael E. Dreher and other right-wing politicians as Autopartei (English: Automobile Party). It was intended to counter the then upsurging Green Party of Switzerland and the contemporary concerns about the supposed "Waldsterben" due to acid rain. Focusing initially on personal mobility issues, one of its more well-known slogans was "Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger" (A free road for free citizens). The party stands for a libertarian economic policy and opposes Swiss EU membership.
The party enjoyed success in the cantonal parliaments, particularly in St. Gallen, Thurgau and Schaffhausen). The height of its power was reached in the 1991 National Council elections, when it captured 8 out of 200 seats and 4% of the national vote. Afterwards, the party's fortunes started to decline as many leading figures left the party in the course of internal disputes, mainly for the more mainstream Swiss People's Party.
Despite renaming itself to "Freedom Party" in 1994, the FPS lost all national mandates in the 1999 elections and, as of 2006, retains but a very few parliamentary seats in some cantonal and municipal parliaments. Most of its members, and even entire sections have joined the Swiss People's Party which has incorporated most of the party's agenda.
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