Liberalism in Switzerland

Overview of liberalism and radicalism in Switzerland

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Liberalism

Schools

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Principles

* Consent of the governed
* Due process
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* Economic globalization
* Equality
* Gender
* Legal
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* Economic
* Market
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* Press
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* Rule of law
* Secularism
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* Separation of church and state
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* Social contract
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* Social services
* Welfare state
* Whig history

History

* Glorious Revolution
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Intellectuals

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Politicians

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Organizations

* Africa Liberal Network
* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
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* European Democratic Party
* European Liberal Youth
* International Alliance of Libertarian Parties
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* Liberal parties
* Liberal South East European Network
* Renew Europe

Regional variants

* Europe
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Radicalism

History

* Age of Enlightenment
* Atlantic Revolutions
* American Revolution
* French Revolution
* Belgian Revolution
* Chartism
* Progressive Era

Ideas

* Anti-clericalism
* Civic nationalism
* Civil liberties
* Classical liberalism
* Cultural radicalism
* Classical radicalism
* Direct democracy
* Egalitarianism
* Freedom of movement
* Jacobinism
* Labor movement
* Laissez-faire
* Liberal socialism
* Social democracy
* Libertarianism
* left
* Liberté, égalité, fraternité
* Modernity
* Populism
* left-wing
* Progressivism
* Rationalism
* Reform movement
* Republicanism
* Revolution
* Secularism
* Laicité
* Social change
* Social justice
* Social liberalism
* Suffrage
* women
* Utilitarianism
* Utopian socialism
* Welfare

People

* Alem
* Alfonsín
* Atatürk
* Bentham
* Bolívar
* Bonino
* Bright
* Bryan
* Cartwright
* Castberg
* Clemenceau
* Cobbett
* Cobden
* Daladier
* Dewey
* Dilke
* Domergue
* Fox
* Garibaldi
* George
* Godwin
* Green
* Hébert
* Herriot
* Hobhouse
* Hunt
* Jefferson
* Lacombe
* La Follette
* Leclerc
* Lerroux
* Lloyd George
* Mazzini
* Mendès France
* Mill (James)
* Mill (John Stuart)
* Mommsen
* Mossadegh
* Paine
* Pannella
* Papanastasiou
* Papandreou
* Plastiras
* Robespierre
* Roosevelt
* Rosselli
* Roux
* Sacchi
* Saint-Just
* Servan-Schreiber
* Stevens
* Varlet
* Venizelos
* Videla
* Virchow
* Wilkes
* Wilson
* Wollstonecraft
* Yrigoyen
* Zahle

Groups

* Alfarista Radical Front
* Association of Radicals for the United States of Europe
* Authentic Radical Liberal Party
* Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party
* European Radical Alliance
* Independent Radicals
* Italian Radical Party
* Italian Radicals
* Liberals, Democrats and Radicals
* National Radical Party
* Partido Ecologista Radical Intransigente
* People's Radical Party
* 1881
* 1919
* 1990
* Political Party of Radicals
* Radical Cause
* Radical Change
* Radical Civic Union
* Radicales K
* Radical Democracy
* Radical Democratic Party
* Bulgaria
* Estonia
* India
* Spain
* United States
* Radical Federative Movement
* Radical International
* Radical League
* Radical Liberal Party
* Luxembourg
* Paraguay
* Radical Movement
* Radical Movement of Social Democratic Alliance
* Radical Party
* Bolivia
* France
* Hungary
* Italy
* Luxembourg
* Radical Party of Chile
* 1863
* 2018
* Radical Party of the Left
* Radical People's Party
* Finland
* Norway
* Turkey
* Radical Republican Party
* Radical Republicans
* Radical Socialist Party
* Luxembourg
* Estonia
* Radical Socialist Republican Party
* Radical Whigs
* Radicals of the Left
* Radicals (UK)
* Socialist Radical Party
* Stratford Dialectical and Radical Club
* Transnational Radical Party
* Ultra-radicals

By region

* Bulgaria
* Chile
* Denmark
* Ecuador
* France
* Hungary
* Italy
* Paraguay
* Romania
* Spain
* Switzerland
* United States

Works

* Rights of Man (1791)
* The English Constitution
Produced and Illustrated (1824)

Related

* Conservative liberalism
* History of socialism
* Irish republicanism
* Liberalism in Europe

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This article gives an overview of liberalism and the historical radicalism movement within liberalism in Switzerland. It is limited to liberal and radical parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

## Introduction

[edit]

In the nineteenth century the radicalism of Freisinn became the dominant political force in Switzerland, which remained for a long time in the twentieth century. Both the major Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz/Parti Radical-Démocratique Suisse, member LI, ALDE Party) and the minor Liberal Party of Switzerland (Liberale Partei der Schweiz/Parti Libéral Suisse, member LI) were centre-right liberal parties that merged into FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen/PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux, observer LI, member ALDE) in 2009.

## Timeline

[edit]

### Regeneration

[edit]

Main article: Regeneration (Switzerland)

### From Liberal Democrats to Liberal Party of Switzerland

[edit]

* 1893: The moderate liberals established the Liberal Democrats (Liberaldemokraten), but most German-speaking liberals joined in 1894 the ⇒ Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
* 1913: The party is renamed Liberal Democratic Party (Liberaldemokratische Partei)
* 1961: The party is reorganised into the Liberal Democratic Union of Switzerland (Liberaldemokratische Union der Schweiz)[1]
* 1977: The party is renamed Liberal Party of Switzerland (Liberale Partei der Schweiz/Parti Libéral Suisse)

### Free Democratic Party of Switzerland

[edit]

* 1894: The Radicals (Freisinn in German) became a dominant factor in Swiss politics and established as a party the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz/Parti Radical-Démocratique Suisse)
* 1896: A faction formed the ⇒ Extreme Left
* 1918: A conservative faction of the party seceded as the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents
* 1941: The Zürich branch joined the ⇒ Democratic Party of Switzerland
* 1971: The Zürich branch of the ⇒ Democratic Party of Switzerland rejoined the party

### From Extreme Left to Democratic Party of Switzerland

[edit]

* 1896: The left wing of the ⇒ Free Democratic Party of Switzerland established the Extreme Left (Äußerste Linke)
* 1905: The Extreme Left organised itself as the social liberal Democratic Party of Switzerland (Demokratische Partei der Schweiz)
* 1941: A Zürich faction of the ⇒ Free Democratic Party of Switzerland joined the party
* 1971: The Zürich branch of the party returned to the ⇒ Free Democratic Party of Switzerland, while the Glarus and Grisons branches merged into the Swiss People's Party

### Ring of Independents

[edit]

* 1936: Gottlieb Duttweiler formed the Ring of Independents[2] as a social-liberal party
* 1999: The party disbanded

## Liberal leaders

[edit]

* Freisinn: Ludwig Snell [de] \- Alfred Escher

## See also

[edit]

* History of Switzerland
* Politics of Switzerland
* List of political parties in Switzerland

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Liberale Partei (LP)". hls-dhs-dss.ch (in German). Retrieved 29 June 2025.
2. ^ "Landesring der Unabhängigen (LdU)". hls-dhs-dss.ch (in German). Retrieved 29 June 2025.

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Liberalism in Europe

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States with limited
recognition|

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