Fulvio Pelli
Who was the head of FDP.The Liberals from 2009 to 2012?
FDP.The Liberals FDP.The Liberals ( , , , ) is a liberal political party in Switzerland . It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council , third-largest party in the National Council and second-largest in the Council of States . The party was formed on 1 January 2009 , after two parties , the Free Democratic Party ( FDP/PRD ) and the smaller Liberal Party ( LPS/PLS ) , united . In Vaud and Valais , the parties retain separate organisations . Its youth organisation is Young Liberals . With 120,000 members as of 2015 , the FDP has the most members of any party : 20% more than the second-placed Christian Democratic Peoples Party of Switzerland ( CVP/PDC ) . The party is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party ( ALDE ) and an observer member of the Liberal International . The partys president is Petra Gössi . The current FDP representatives in the Federal Council are Ignazio Cassis and Karin Keller-Sutter . History . The party was formed in 2009 from the merger of the Free Democratic Party ( FDP ) and the Liberal Party . The radical Free Democratic Party , also called the Radicals , was Switzerlands major establishment party . Founded in 1894 , the partys classical liberal predecessors had governed Switzerland outright for most of the 19th century , and had been the guiding force behind the creation of modern Switzerland . The Liberal Party , known as the Old Liberals , represented the French-speaking establishment : again rooted in the conservative liberalism of the nineteenth century . It also had a distinctly liberal Protestant outlook . In the 2003 federal election , the two parties formed an electoral alliance . In the election , the Liberals were reduced to four seats , below the five required to form an official grouping in the Federal Assembly , so the two formed a joint caucus . In June 2005 , the two founded the Radical and Liberal Union , which aimed to promote liberal goals through deeper cooperation . In 2007 , the womens arms of the parties merged , while the youth wings merged the following year to form the Young Liberals . Agreement on the merger of the federal parties was agreed in October 2008 . The agreement was adopted on 28 February 2009 , applying retroactively to 1 January 2009 . FDP President Fulvio Pelli of Ticino became the partys first leader , while Liberal President Pierre Weiss was named one of four Vice-Presidents . Separate Free Democrat and Liberal branches remained in competition with each other in Geneva , Valais , and Vaud . In May 2011 , the partys two Geneva branches – Liberal Party of Geneva and Radical Party of Geneva – merged to form a single FDP.The Liberals cantonal branch . In the 2015 federal election , the FDP increased its share of the popular vote by 1.3% , the first time it had increased since the 1979 federal election . Positions . As a classically liberal party , the FDP wants to protect civil liberties and individual responsibility . The FDP calls for mutual tolerance of people with different opinions and self-identities , entrepreneurship , social responsibility , the rule of law , and participatory democracy . The party supports neutrality , federalism , direct democracy , and the tax sovereignty of each canton . It believes that national security should be credibly guaranteed by a skilled and strong militia . The party is for a cosmopolitan Switzerland , which benefits from the opportunities that globalization provides . The FDP supports the close cooperation with the EU through bilateral treaties , but rejects accession to the EU . The immigration policy of the party is based on the integration of immigrants , requiring clear and effective rules by means of an integration law . The FDP calls for consistent action against abuse of laws in Switzerland by immigrants , and in repeated cases calls for deporting foreign criminals in accordance with international law . The FDP supports a peaceful foreign policy , which increases the security of Switzerland and prevents an increasing number of refugees . Economic policy . The party believes that an open society and economic freedom are more conducive to prosperity , and greater economic and social stability , rather than a redistributive and regulative state . The FDP wants more freedom of choice rather than restrictions in all areas of private life . According to the partys stance , self-responsibility and competition should dictate the actions of individuals , rather than bans . The FDP wants to ensure that personal initiative is rewarded and not restricted by paternalism . Start-ups , particularly by young people , are to be encouraged . The party stands for a simple tax code , low taxes , and for tax competition among the cantons . It calls for a more citizen-friendly state without excessive bureaucracy and excessive regulation , and for a lean state with lower government spending , which offers only those services which citizens and the private sector cannot provide . The party , which calls for a competitive and sustainable market economy , wants to strengthen Switzerland as a financial and economic hub with as little government interference as possible . It also calls for the reduction of public debt and fiscal deficits . In general , it believes that tax incentives are better than subsidies in creating incentives . The party saw opportunity in the 2007-2010 financial crisis an to carry out financial and tax reforms quickly to improve the situation of companies in Switzerland , and to create 40,000 new jobs by 2015 . The main objectives of energy policy are security of energy supply and increasing energy efficiency . The party wants to support the research of alternative sources of energy for electricity production which generate no carbon dioxide . Social policy . The FDP works toward a society offering genuine opportunities with flexible choices in education , work and family support . It is also aiming at more and better jobs , a sustainable social welfare system which will result in strong national cohesion that counteracts see the divergence of society . This includes stabilizing premium costs in the healthcare sector and combating the abuse of social welfare systems , but also intergenerational equity . The motto of the party in matters of social security is : Solidarity where it is necessary and self-reliance where it is possible . As a profitable investment for the future of society , the FDP wants to promote the highest quality education at all levels , since it considers human capital the most important resource of Switzerland . It considers innovation as a crucial asset for prosperity and wants to improve the position of Switzerland as one of the leaders of innovation . The party is , in principal , in favour of ending marijuana prohibition to encourage safe and legal free enterprise as opposed to a costly war on drugs , emphasizing personal and family responsibility over life choices , as opposed to making such choices a state power . However , many in the party may not be in favour of a full legalization , such as in the U.S . state of Colorado , but just decriminalisation such as the approach in Portugal . Foreign policy . The FDP opposes Swiss membership in the European Union , saying that Switzerland can only remain a world leader if it remains outside the EU . It strongly supports the bilateral accords that Switzerland has with the EU . In the 2001 referendum , the FDP campaigned against opening negotiations . The FDP believes that international law takes precedence over Swiss law , although it states that Swiss voters should approve international law before it takes effect . Leaders . - Fulvio Pelli ( 2009–2012 ) , Ticino - Philipp Müller ( 2012–2016 ) , Aargau - Petra Gössi ( 2016–present ) , Schwyz