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National Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 October 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 200 seats in theNational Council 101 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 47.62% ( 0.88pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Council of States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 October–22 November 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 46 seats in theCouncil of States 24 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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Federal elections were held inSwitzerland on 18 October 2015 for theNational Council and the first round of elections to theCouncil of States, with runoff elections to the Council of States being held in various cantons until 22 November.[1][2]
Results showed a shift, due to voter concerns regarding refugee immigration, to theright and increased support for the three largest parties, with the strong showing ofSwiss People's Party andFDP.The Liberals possibly affecting future reforms of energy, social security and tax issues, as well as the make-up of the seven-member government.[3][4][5]
The Swiss People's Party won a record number of seats, taking a third of the 200-seat lower house. The SVP received the highest proportion of votes of any Swiss political party since 1919, whenproportional representation was first introduced,[6] and it received more seats in the National Council than any other political party since 1963, when the number of seats was set at 200.[7]
The federal election was followed by the2015 Swiss Federal Council election on 9 December 2015, where the SVP won a second seat on theFederal Council.[8]
The 200 members of theNational Council were elected by plurality in six single-member constituencies, and byproportional representation in 20 multi-member constituencies, with the 26 constituencies being the26 cantons.[9] The elections were held using theopen list system where voters could cross out names on party lists, with voters also able to split their vote between parties (a system known aspanachage) or draw up their own list on a blank ballot. Seats are allocated using theHagenbach-Bischoff system.[10]
The 46 members of theCouncil of States were elected in 20 two-seat constituencies (representing the 20 full cantons) and six single-member constituencies (representing the sixhalf-cantons). InJura andNeuchâtel the elections were held using proportional representation. In the other cantons, councilors are elected through an up totwo-round system of voting. In the first round of voting, candidates must obtain anabsolute majority of the vote in order to be elected. If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting then a second round is held in which asimple plurality is sufficient to be elected. The top two finishing candidates are elected in the second round.[11][12]
Compulsory voting was in force in the canton ofSchaffhausen for both elections.[13]
The parties contesting the elections were:
| Political party | Leader | Political spectrum |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss People's Party (SVP) | Toni Brunner | Right-wing |
| Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SP) | Christian Levrat | Centre-left toleft-wing |
| FDP.The Liberals (FDP) | Philipp Müller | Centre-right |
| Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland (CVP/PDC) | Christophe Darbellay | Centre tocentre-right |
| Green Party of Switzerland (GPS) | Adèle Thorens,Regula Rytz | Left-wing |
| Green Liberal Party of Switzerland (glp) | Martin Bäumle | Centre |
| Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (BDP) | Martin Landolt | Centre tocentre-right |
| Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland (EVP) | Marianne Streiff | Centre |
| Ticino League (TL) | Attilio Bignasca | Right-wing |
| Alternative Left (AL) | Frédéric Charpié | Left-wing |
| Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU) | Hans Moser | Right-wing |
| Christian Social Party (Switzerland) (CSP) | Marius Achermann | Centre-left |
| Geneva Citizens' Movement (MCG) | Roger Golay | Right-wing |
| Date | Institution | SVP | SPS | FDP | CVP | GPS | BDP | GLP | EVP | AL | EDU | LEGA | CSP | MCG | Other | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 October 2015 | 2015 Elections | 29.4% | 18.8% | 16.4% | 11.6% | 7.1% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% | – | 10.6% |
| 2 October 2015 | Sotomo/20min[permanent dead link] | 29.0% | 18.4% | 15.8% | 11.4% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7.9% | 10.6% |
| 16 September 2015 | Sotomo/20min[permanent dead link] | 29.0% | 17.6% | 16.8% | 11.2% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 5.1% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11.4% |
| 21–28 August 15 | GfS Berne/SSR[permanent dead link] | 28.0% | 19.3% | 16.9% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 1.7% | – | – | – | – | – | 7.1% | 8.7% |
| 24 June 2015 | 20min/Somoto[permanent dead link] | 27.6% | 18.2% | 16.4% | 12.0% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 5.0% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13.0% | 9.4% |
| 24 June 2015 | GfS Berne/SSR | 26.1% | 19.3% | 17.1% | 11.5% | 7.4% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 1.9% | – | 1.1% | 0.9% | – | – | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| 31 March 2015 | GfS Berne/SSR | 26.2% | 19.6% | 16.3% | 11.8% | 7.5% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 1.9% | – | 1.0% | 0.8% | – | – | 4.7% | 6.5% |
| 21 December 2014 | Léger Marketing/Le Matin | 23.8% | 19.8% | 15.7% | 12.4% | 8.2% | 7.2% | 7.4% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6.0% |
| 3 October 2014 | GfS Berne/Le Temps | 24.6% | 20.1% | 15.8% | 11.2% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 7.3% | 1.8% | – | 1.4% | 1% | – | – | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| 30 March 2014 | Léger Marketing/Le Matin | 25% | 19.4% | 15.2% | 12.2% | 7.4% | 6.9% | 6.6% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5.6% |
| 27 September 2013 | GfS Berne/SSR[permanent dead link] | 25.8% | 18.7% | 14.7% | 11.7% | 8.3% | 7.5% | 5.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.0% | – | – | 2.5% | 7.1% |
| 15 September 2013 | Isopublic/Le Matin | 24.3% | 19.6% | 14.1% | 13.1% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 6.6% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4.7% |
| 21 October 2012 | Isopublic/Blick[permanent dead link] | 23.7% | 19.5% | 15.9% | 12.9% | 8.2% | 6.9% | 7.0% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4.2% |
| 16 September 2012 | Isopublic/Le Matin | 23.9% | 19.3% | 16.3% | 13% | 8.2% | 6.2% | 7.7% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4.6% |
| 25 March 2012 | Isopublic/Le Matin | 23.7% | 19.9% | 15.8% | 12.1% | 8.2% | 7.0% | 7.5% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3.8% |
| 23 October 2011 | 2011 Elections | 26.6% | 18.7% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 8.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.4% | – | 7.9% |
Global media commented on the gains of the Swiss People's Party, linking it to concerns of the electorate on theEuropean migrant crisis.[7][14][15][16] Combined, right-of-centre parties received a slim 101-seat majority in the National Council.[5][6] While the right-of-centre SVP and FDP made gains, centrist and left-of-centre parties lost seats in the National Council.[17][18] The FDP increased its share of the popular vote for the first time since the1979 federal election.[18]
In the Swiss capitalBern, a group of activists in favour of settling refugees held a demonstration on the day of the election, which is prohibited by law. A total of 110 were arrested.[19]
The election results elicited various responses from the Swiss media, such as that the election represented "a return to normality" after a period when the legislative makeup was not as clear, or that it represented "a divided country."[20][21] Newspapers, both in Switzerland and in other countries, also noted the SVP's historic gains.[21]
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| Swiss People's Party | 734,171 | 29.43 | 65 | +11 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 470,339 | 18.86 | 43 | −3 | |
| FDP.The Liberals | 408,793 | 16.39 | 33 | +3 | |
| Christian Democratic People's Party | 289,719 | 11.61 | 27 | −1 | |
| Green Party | 176,075 | 7.06 | 11 | −4 | |
| Green Liberal Party | 115,604 | 4.63 | 7 | −5 | |
| Conservative Democratic Party | 102,598 | 4.11 | 7 | −2 | |
| Evangelical People's Party | 47,355 | 1.90 | 2 | 0 | |
| Federal Democratic Union | 29,701 | 1.19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ticino League | 24,713 | 0.99 | 2 | 0 | |
| Solidarity | 20,199 | 0.81 | 0 | 0 | |
| Swiss Party of Labour | 1 | +1 | |||
| Pirate Party | 10,373 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 | |
| Christian Social Party of Obwalden | 9,911 | 0.40 | 1 | 0 | |
| Alternative List | 8,908 | 0.36 | 0 | 0 | |
| Geneva Citizens' Movement | 8,069 | 0.32 | 1 | 0 | |
| Christian Social Party | 5,207 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ecopop | 3,649 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Swiss Democrats | 3,052 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | |
| Enabling Democracy | 2,776 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | |
| Art + Politics | 2,307 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | |
| Integral Policy | 1,883 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | |
| Animal Party Switzerland | 1,796 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | |
| MontagnaViva | 1,609 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alpine Parliament | 1,324 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
| Blank Vote List | 1,266 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
| Philipp Jutzi | 1,199 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
| Direct Democratic Party | 942 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | |
| Communist Party | 907 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | |
| Stop Traffic Jams and Speed Camera Terror - The List of Drivers | 821 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Swiss Nationalist Party | 792 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Non-Party | 710 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Popular Action Against too Many Foreigners and Asylum Seekers | 698 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Green Independents | 656 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seeds of the Future | 458 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Swiss | 451 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sarah Bösch – The Original | 379 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rauraque du Nord | 376 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Liberal Party | 347 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Non-Selector.ch | 300 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| The Swiss Independence Party up! | 284 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vaud Independents | 274 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fluffy Hans-Ueli (Hemp-Ueli) | 267 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Social Liberal Movement | 245 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Marcel Giger Amden Independent | 242 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| El Presidente | 231 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Center Party | 205 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Patriotic Liberal Democrats | 135 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Anti-PowerPoint Party | 125 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| DU – The Apolitical | 123 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Solution Oriented People's Movement | 118 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lega Sud | 104 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| I Liberisti | 83 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| mach-politik.ch | 65 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mouvement Democratique Cademos | 63 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Impossible Alternative | 51 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Swiss Freedom and Justice | 48 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other parties | 1,321 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 2,494,417 | 100.00 | 200 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 2,494,417 | 98.93 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 27,085 | 1.07 | |||
| Total votes | 2,521,502 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 5,295,506 | 47.62 | |||
| Source:Statistics Switzerland,Elections 2015,IFES | |||||
_Nov_2015.svg) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | +/– | |
| Christian Democratic People's Party | 13 | 0 | |
| FDP.The Liberals | 13 | +2 | |
| Social Democratic Party | 12 | +1 | |
| Swiss People's Party | 5 | 0 | |
| Green Party | 1 | −1 | |
| Conservative Democratic Party | 1 | 0 | |
| Green Liberal Party | 0 | −2 | |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 46 | 0 | |
| Source:Statistics Switzerland | |||
The 2015 federal election was followed by the2015 Swiss Federal Council election on 9 December 2015.[8]
Owing to the results of the federal election,Federal CouncillorEveline Widmer-Schlumpf, a member of theConservative Democratic Party (BDP), announced she would not run for re-election, as theSwiss People's Party (SVP) won a record percentage of the vote, while her own party decreased its share.[22] The SVP was widely expected to fill her seat in the election, and it choseThomas Aeschi (Zug),Guy Parmelin (Vaud) andNorman Gobbi (Ticino) as candidates for the seat, with Aeschi being the favorite at the time.[23][24]
Guy Parmelin, of the SVP, was ultimately elected on 9 December.[8] Parmelin, a farmer and winegrower fromBursins in cantonVaud, was the first member of the Federal Council who is also a member of theSwiss People's Party from theFrench-speaking part of Switzerland.[8][25]
There was a minor cabinet reshuffle after the election, as newly elected Parmelin was selected to become head of theFederal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, replacing fellow SVP-memberUeli Maurer, who became head of theFederal Department of Finance.[26] The SVP gained its second seat in the Federal Council, which it had lost in 2008, when the newly created BDP split from the SVP.
Media related toSwiss federal election 2015 at Wikimedia Commons
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