- Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland
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Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland 
German name Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz (BDP) French name Parti bourgeois démocratique Suisse (PBD) Italian name Partito borghese democratico Svizzera (PBD) Romansh name Partida burgais democratica Svizra (PBD) President Hans Grunder Members of the Federal Council Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (elected as SVP member) Founded 1 November 2008 Headquarters Postfach 119
CH-3000 Bern 6Membership (2011) 6,500[1] Ideology Conservatism,
Economic liberalismPolitical position Centre-right International affiliation Not affiliated European affiliation Not affiliated Official colours Yellow, Black National Council 9 / 200Council of States 1 / 46Cantonal legislatures 75 / 2,559Website www.bdp.info Politics of Switzerland
Political parties
Elections
Swiss Federal Council
Federal Chancellor
Federal Assembly
Council of States (members)
National Council (members)
VotingThe Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland (German: Bürgerlich-Demokratische Partei Schweiz, BDP; French: Parti Bourgeois Démocratique Suisse, Italian: Partito Borghese Democratico Svizzero, Romansh: Partida Burgais Democratica Svizra, PBD) is a centre-right conservative political party in Switzerland. The BDP has one member of the Federal Council, five of the National Council, and one of the Council of States.
It was founded as a moderate splinter group from the national conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP), and was founded as a political party on the federal level on 1 November 2008.[2] It is led by Hans Grunder, and has one Federal Councillor, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, whose election in defiance of the SVP incumbent Christoph Blocher led to the creation of the party.
Contents
Foundation
On 16 June 2008, the delegates' convention of the Graubünden cantonal section of the Swiss People's Party, expelled by the federal party on account of its support of Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, decided to rename itself BPS Graubünden (BPS stands for Bürgerliche Partei Schweiz) and to form the first cantonal section of the BDP.[3] A second cantonal section was founded in Bern on 21 June 2008 under the name BDP;[3][4] the change from BPS to BDP was due to a name conflict with the extant minor party Bürgerpartei Schweiz (Citizen's Party of Switzerland), which has the same acronym BPS. As a result, the BPS Graubünden also changed its name to BDP Graubünden.[5][6]
Thirteen cantonal branches have been founded, predominantly in German-speaking Switzerland: Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Bern, Fribourg, Glarus, Graubünden, Lucerne, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Valais, and Zürich.
Strength
BDP has 5 out of the 200 seats in the National Council.
Seventeen members of the Grand Council of Bern defected to the BDP from the SVP. In the 2010 election, the number of BDP councillors increased to 25, making the BDP the third-largest party in Bern, behind the SVP and Social Democratic Party
Having been founded by the mass defection of the local SVP, the Conservative Democrats are also the third-largest delegation in the Grand Council of Graubünden, with 30 seats, behind the Christian Democratic People's Party and FDP.The Liberals. The BDP is also the third-largest party in the Cantonal Council of neighbouring Glarus, with ten of the legislature's sixty seats.
Percentages of BDP at recent canonal and local elections
References
- ^ (German) Der Bund kurz erklärt. Swiss Confederation. 2011. p. 20. http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html?lang=de&download=M3wBPgDB_8ull6Du36WenojQ1NTTjaXZnqWfVpzLhmfhnapmmc7Zi6rZnqCkkIZ5gH97bKbXrZ6lhuDZz8mMps2gpKfo.
- ^ http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/die_bdp_schweiz_wird_am_1_november_gegruendet__1.819830.html
- ^ a b "SVP Graubünden mit neuem Namen" (in German). SF. 16 June 2008. http://tagesschau.sf.tv/content/view/full/237710.
- ^ Abspaltung von der Berner SVP vollzogen (Schweiz, NZZ Online)
- ^ espace.ch - SVP-Spaltung perfekt
- ^ Bündner SVP-Abspaltung übernimmt Namen der Berner (Schweiz, NZZ Online)
External links
Political parties in Switzerland 
Government Christian Democratic People's Party · Conservative Democrats · FDP.The Liberals · Social Democratic Party · Swiss People's PartyOther parties in the
Federal AssemblyOther parties Alternative Left · Alternative List · Federal Democratic Union · Freedom Party · Pirate Party · Social Liberal Movement · solidaritéS · Swiss Democrats · Swiss Nationalist Party · Swiss Party of LabourPortal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of SwitzerlandCategories:- Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland
- Political parties in Switzerland
- Political parties established in 2008
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