Swiss Democrats
The far-right Swiss Democrats were founded in 1961 under the name "National Action". Their main concern was what they considered to be the "overrunning" of Switzerland by foreigners.
They won their first seat in parliament in 1967 and took the name Swiss Democrats in 1990. This was aimed at showing that the party was not just concerned with issues surrounding foreigners.
Their biggest electoral success came in 1991, when the party won 3.4 per cent of the vote and five seats in the House of Representatives. Since 1995 it has been losing voters and parliamentarians, with only one representative in parliament since 1999.
Founded: 1961 (under the name “National Action”)
Chairman: Bernhard Hess, Member of the House the Representatives, BE
Seats in the House of Representatives: 1
Seats in the Senate: 0
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