| Description | Center-right multilingual, multi ethnic party and one of the four governing parties of Switzerland. Party themes focus on individual responsibility, market competitiveness and sound public finances. Party was the result of merger of the Radical-Democratic Party (Parti radical-démocratique suisse, PRD; Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei, FDP) and the Swiss Liberal Party (Parti Libéral Suisse, PLS; Liberale Partei der Schweiz, LPS), approved on October 25, 2008 and finalized on January 1, 2009. Merged party was launched as the French Swiss-centric Liberal-Radical Party (PLR.Les Libéraux-Radicaux), rooted in the foundation of a constitutional Switzerland, in force since November 16, 1848. Party remains strongest in the Southern French- and Italian-speaking cantons of Switzerland (aka, "Latin Switzerland") where it controls most of the government councils, cantonal councils and municipal councils. In Italian, the party is known as PLR.I Liberali Radicali, and in German, the party was rebranded FDP.Die Liberalen (FDP.The Liberals) on February 2009, removing "Radicals" from the name. It is the third-largest party in terms of voter share and it has established 27 cantonal sections (cantonal-level parties) with varied names. Party has been led by Thierry Burkart since October 2, 2021. |
