“The Liberals are needed because we support individual responsibility and independence, and believe in a healthy patriotism. We fight for a strong economy and are opposed to tax increases. We want to encourage education and research.”

Christine Wirz-von Planta, vice-president

The Liberal Party is the successor to the “Liberal Democratic Party”, a rightwing splinter group which broke away from the Radicals in 1913. Its stronghold is in the Protestant cantons of French-speaking Switzerland and the city of Basel.

Over the past 30 years the party has regularly gained up to three per cent of the vote in parliamentary elections. It has six members in the House of Representatives but none in the Senate.

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