Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland

The EDU was founded in 1975 as a split of the Republican Movement and the Nationale Aktion.[4] The EDU maintains that it split from the Evangelical People's Party.[4]

At the beginning of its existence, the EDU's platform was strongly influenced by the ideology of Otto Strasser, revolutionary nationalism and solidarism.[5] Despite being nationalistic and patriotic, the party supported socialist economic policies as opposed to capitalism or communism.[5] In the early 1980s, the EDU underwent an ideological shift, with fundamentalist Christianity and the Bible becoming the most important parts of its ideology.[5] It promoted socially conservative policies.[5] At the same time, the EDU adopted right-wing populist positions on issues such as immigration, integration into supranational unions, and Islam.[6] It adopted strongly pro-Israel views.[7]

In the 1970s and 1980s, support of the EDU grew particularly with conservative free-church groups, both traditional and newly established. The language of the EDU was influenced during this time by a directive and on the basis of interest in dispensationalism from an eschatological tone.[8]

In 1991, the EDU entered the Swiss National Council with one seat,[9] and in 2003, it gained a second seat. Despite remaining a small, fringe party, it grew from having section in nine cantons in 1991 to twenty-three in 2003.[10] The EDU had its greatest electoral success in the Canton of Bern[9] and became relatively strong in the canton.[11] In addition, its party newspaper, the EDU Standpunkt, had a circulation of between 31,000 and 45,000 and even up to 500,000 during national elections.[10] The party created a French newspaper with a circulation of about 10,000.[10] The EDU sponsored several referendums, attempting to block socially liberal legislation, but its attempts were unsuccessful.[10]

In May 2007 the party became a member of the European Christian Political Movement, which claims: "The source of these Christian values are the Bible and the Christian tradition. These sources are in itself not a political program. These sources call us to serve the people of Europe...".[12] The EDU is no longer listed as being a member of the ECPM.

The EDU received 1.3% of the popular vote in the 2007 elections, and retained one of its two seats in the Swiss National Council, held by Andreas Brönnimann, who represented the canton of Berne.

However, in the 2011 elections, the party lost its seat in the Swiss National Council, even though it still received the same percentage of the popular vote. In the 2019 elections the party won one seat in the Swiss National Council, regaining representation.

Percentages of the EDU at district level in 2011

The EDU is a politically conservative, Protestant fundamentalist, and right-wing populist party.[3] It is similar to the Christian right in the United States, and its top goals were to promote "biblical values" and oppose other cultures and values.[3] The party has also been described as "ultra-conservative."[13]

The EDU sees itself as a Christian party and uses the Bible as the guideline for its policies. On questions concerning the environment, the EDU stands rather center-left,[14] however with family, social, and educational policy, the EDU takes a conservative stance. The EDU want a debt-free state.

The EDU has close connections to free churches.[15]

• 1979–1989: Peter Rüst[9]
• 1989–1995: Werner Scherrer[22][23]
• 1995–2001: Christian Waber
• 2001–present: Hans Moser[24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland.

• Official web site