1983 Swiss federal election explained

Election Name:	1983 Swiss federal election
Country:	Switzerland
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1979
Next Election:	1987
Seats For Election:	All 200 seats in the National Council (101 seats needed for a majority) All 46 seats in the Council of States (24 seats needed for a majority)
Turnout:	48.9% 0.9 pp
Election Date:	23 October 1983

Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 1983.^{[1] [2]} The Free Democratic Party emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 54 of the 200 seats.^[3] It was the first time the Social Democratic Party had not received the most votes in a federal election since 1925.^[4]

The main issues included environmental protection and unemployment.

Results

National Council

By constituency

Constituency	Seats	Electorate	Turnout	Party		Votes	Seats won
Aargau	14	287,227	129,016		Social Democratic Party	489,381	4
					Christian Democratic People's Party	382,862	4
					Free Democratic Party	360,368	3
					Swiss People's Party	252,066	2
					Ring of Independents	105,223	1
					Evangelical People's Party	88,557	0
					National Action	71,119	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	21,609	0
					More Freedom	7,827	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	2,453	0
Appenzell Ausserrhoden	2	31,463	13,025		Free Democratic Party	8,160	1
					"Herbert Maeder in the National Council" Committee	5,856	1
					Social Democratic Party	5,347	0
					Christian Democratic People's Party	3,281	0
Appenzell Innerrhoden	1	8,702	2,132		Christian Democratic People's Party	1,950	1
					Others	90	0
Basel-Landschaft	7	143,229	70,557		Social Democratic Party	158,759	3
					Free Democratic Party	122,193	2
					Swiss People's Party	54,546	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	52,707	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	35,206	0
					Ring of Independents	21,379	0
					National Action	19,110	0
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	14,520	0
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	9,324	0
Basel-Stadt	6	137,296	62,694		Social Democratic Party	115,577	2
					Free Democratic Party	50,482	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	44,581	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	36,952	1
					Liberal Party	31,040	0
					Ring of Independents	26,274	1
					National Action	19,790	0
					Evangelical People's Party	17,866	0
					Democratic Social Party	11,429	0
					Party of Labour	8,528	0
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	3,707	0
					People's Action Against Many Foreigners In Our Home	2,108	0
					Green Action	774	0
					Basel Party for Calm, Order and Security	771	0
Bern	29	625,995	312,288		Swiss People's Party	2,597,070	9
					Social Democratic Party	2,529,138	8
					Free Democratic Party	1,351,472	5
					National Action	536,254	2
					Free List	417,624	1
					Evangelical People's Party	291,517	1
					Ring of Independents	288,099	1
					Autonomous Socialist Party of South Jura	192,669	0
					Christian Democratic People's Party	191,536	0
					Federal Democratic Union	162,341	0
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	142,749	0
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	142,651	1
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	57,759	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	31,959	0
					Citizens' List Against the Accumulation of Offices	11,326	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	4,678	0
Fribourg	6	122,666	64,746		Christian Democratic People's Party	143,535	3
					Social Democratic Party	90,658	1
					Free Democratic Party	75,556	1
					Swiss People's Party	33,466	1
					Independent Social-Christian Party	28,302	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	6,561	0
Geneva	11	187,930	83,705		Social Democratic Party	172,453	2
					Liberal Party	171,576	3
					Party of Labour	85,219	2
					Free Democratic Party	145,144	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	110,293	1
					Republican Movement	109,690	1
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	68,431	0
					National Action	18,865	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	13,031	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	2,588	0
Glarus	1	23,048	6,061		Swiss People's Party	5,045	1
					Others	420	0
Grisons	5	106,814	42,613		Christian Democratic People's Party	66,986	2
					Social Democratic Party	49,617	1
					Swiss People's Party	44,250	1
					Free Democratic Party	40,420	1
Jura	2	42,207	25,939		Free Democratic Party	14,808	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	12,896	0
					Social Democratic Party	9,171	1
					Friends and Sympathizers of Jean Wilhelm	7,475	0
					Independent Social-Christian Party	6,052	0
					Swiss People's Party	1,037	0
Lucerne	9	193,946	117,278		Christian Democratic People's Party	509,792	5
					Free Democratic Party	293,937	3
					Social Democratic Party	120,588	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	86,399	0
					National Action	13,255	0
					Non-Partisan	3,350	0
Neuchâtel	5	97,581	42,674		Social Democratic Party	68,562	2
					Liberal Party	63,991	2
					Free Democratic Party	40,211	1
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	15,226	0
					Party of Labour	8,739	0
					Ring of Independents	7,257	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	2,945	0
Nidwalden	1	20,439	6,027		Christian Democratic People's Party	4,166	1
					Others	122	0
Obwalden	1	17,378	5,370		Christian Democratic People's Party	3,415	1
					Others	337	0
Schaffhausen	2	44,499	32,795		Social Democratic Party	22,431	1
					Free Democratic Party	16,624	1
					Swiss People's Party	14,375	0
					Christian Democratic People's Party	4,023	0
					Ring of Independents	3,550	0
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	1,694	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	766	0
Schwyz	3	63,068	27,491		Christian Democratic People's Party	37,267	2
					Free Democratic Party	20,775	1
					Social Democratic Party	16,812	0
					Swiss People's Party	5,186	0
Solothurn	7	144,237	87,554		Free Democratic Party	223,530	3
					Social Democratic Party	166,812	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	160,478	2
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	20,781	0
					Ring of Independents	23,832	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	5,255	0
St. Gallen	12	244,526	107,611		Christian Democratic People's Party	520,398	5
					Free Democratic Party	350,297	4
					Social Democratic Party	207,455	2
					Ring of Independents	130,263	1
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	41,558	0
					Swiss People's Party	24,021	0
Ticino	8	159,845	98,398		Free Democratic Party	285,420	3
					Christian Democratic People's Party	255,684	3
					Social Democratic Party	103,631	1
					Autonomous Socialist Party	79,454	1
					Swiss People's Party	15,702	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	7,435	0
					Ticino Democratic Rights	3,091	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	2,717	0
Thurgau	6	113,263	59,712		Swiss People's Party	80,381	2
					Christian Democratic People's Party	76,133	2
					Social Democratic Party	68,735	1
					Free Democratic Party	64,444	1
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	20,785	0
					Evangelical People's Party	18,504	0
					Ring of Independents	13,768	0
					National Action	9,609	0
Uri	1	22,440	6,772		Free Democratic Party	4,799	1
					Others	868	0
Vaud	17	320,472	128,894		Free Democratic Party	650,061	7
					Social Democratic Party	467,069	5
					Liberal Party	360,481	3
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	150,149	1
					Swiss People's Party	131,952	1
					Christian Democratic People's Party	96,697	0
					Party of Labour	88,607	0
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	80,816	0
					National Action	55,162
					Socialist Workers' Party	45,173	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	10,851	0
Valais	7	145,446	94,937		Christian Democratic People's Party	371,921	4
					Free Democratic Party	162,477	2
					Social Democratic Party	91,323	1
					Democratic Valais Independent Group	20,853	0
Zug	2	47,815	25,464		Christian Democratic People's Party	20,127	1
					Free Democratic Party	16,938	1
					Social Democratic Party	11,841	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	1,309	0
					Joy, Peace and Zwätschgechueche	603	0
Zürich	35	717,000	336,259		Social Democratic Party	2,679,690	8
					Free Democratic Party	2,537,519	9
					Swiss People's Party	1,612,538	5
					Ring of Independents	1,157,817	4
					Christian Democratic People's Party	1,058,175	3
					National Action	682,087	2
					Evangelical People's Party	632,813	2
					Federation of Swiss Green Parties	484,533	1
					Swiss Progressive Organisations	442,017	1
					Feminist and Green Alternative Groups	79,972	0
					Federal Democratic Union	67,437	0
					Socialist Workers' Party	48,100	0
					Party of Labour	40,355	0
					Non-Partisan List	26,915	0
					Senior Citizens' List of the Canton of Zürich	20,673	0
					Social Liberal European Federalist Party	21,058	0
					Life + Justice	17,618	0
Source: Bundesblatt, 29 November 1983

Council of the States

Notes and References

1. [Dieter Nohlen|Nohlen, D]
2. Lohneis . Hans . 1984 . The Swiss election of 1983: A glacier on the move? . West European Politics . 7 . 3 . 117–119 . 10.1080/01402388408424490 . 0140-2382.
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1955
4. Nohlen & Stöver, pp1947–1951