Complex sentence: This led to a split of the SVP in 2008, in which liberal regional SVP groups including Federal Councillors Widmer-Schlumpf and Samuel Schmid founded a new Civic Party, leaving the SVP in opposition for the first time since 1929.
Split into simpler sentences: This led to a split of the SVP in 2008. After liberal regional SVP groups including Federal Councillors Widmer-Schlumpf and Samuel Schmid founded a new Civic Party, the SVP was left in opposition for the first time since 1929.