Influence by political group
Which political groups are punching above their weight and wielding more influence?
We analyse the relative influence of political groups by assessing their share of seats in relation to their overall share of influence. This approach lets us grasp how influence is distributed, assuming that all groups have an equal number of MPs.
This comparison reveals that individual parties use their influence either above or below the average.
Of all the parties in parliament, the Swiss People's Party (SVP) holds the potential for the highest overall political influence but does not fully capitalise on it. Consequently, the Centre and the Liberal Party (FDP) wield more overall influence.
When assessed individually, both male and female members of the SVP rank the lowest on average in the parliamentary rankings compared to representatives of other parties.
The Centre Party stands out as the strongest party in parliament in terms of parliamentary influence. Overall, men are more influential than women within the Centre Party in both the National Council and the Council of States.
The FDP secures the second-highest position in the political rankings – behind the Centre party – and makes above average use of its influence potential. Overall, FDP women are more influential than representatives from other parties.
The Green Liberal Party (GLP) makes optimal use of its parliamentary influence potential, outperforming both the SVP and the Greens in this regard. Overall, male members of the GLP exhibit a higher level of influence compared to their female counterparts, although they rank in the middle when compared to representatives from other parties.
The Social Democratic Party (SP) holds the fourth-highest level of influence among all parties in parliament. In the Council of States, the SP has significantly more political influence than in the National Council, with male SP members in the Council of States ranking as the second most influential after the Centre Party representatives.
In terms of parliamentary influence, the Green Party ranks second to last. This is also reflected in the gender comparison: when compared to colleagues from other parties, both Green Party men and women are placed second to last, ahead of only the SVP representatives.