Yann Richter
Yann Richter- Du Pasquier ( born April 4, 1928 in Hauterive; † July 20, 2008 Neuchâtel ) was a Swiss politician. He was 1978-1984 President of the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland (FDP).
Family
The eponymous ancestor judge came in 1756 from Zurich to Neuchatel, presumably they moved originally from Prussia in Switzerland. His father André Richter was the owner of a coal import company and belonged to the FDP of the Canton of Neuchâtel ( Patriotic Association radicals Neuchâteloise ) to. His mother Madeleine Roulet came from a Liberal Party related welschen class family. In the same Neuchâtel liberal tradition Yann Richter's wife Geneviève Richter- Du Pasquier grew up, whom he married in 1968, this couple had a daughter and two sons.
Political mandates
Judge studied law at the University of Neuchâtel. As an FDP member, he was later elected in 1960 mayor of his birthplace and one year in the Grand Council of the Canton of Neuchâtel. Both functions he retained until 1969, in the cantonal parliament, he was also the FDP parliamentary leader. He was elected Vice President of the Democratic Party of Switzerland in 1972.
1971 Richter was a member of the National Council, where he served for eight years, he presided there, the Finance Committee and the Control Committee ( GPK ). In 1979 he stood as a candidate in the Senate, on the first ballot he received mere 4 votes less than his former schoolmate and current Senate René Meylan, SP, then the second ballot made the race.
FDP President
From 1973 to 1977, Judge President of the Cantonal FDP. The collaboration with the Neuchâtel liberals was based on the same fundamental belief an important concern for him, the differences were only in the family tradition, or lifestyle. Even if judge was intimately familiar with both traditions of his family here and the rivalries between radicals and liberals always fought, he was not thinking at the time of a merger of the two parties, which he then in June 2008 with the founding of the Parti Radical - Libéral Neuchâtelois ( PLRN ) still was able to experience.
Judge presided from April 1978 to April 1984, the overall Swiss FDP. When his important task he looked at the broad social bases of the FDP to preserve and " to apply different and individual views to some extent to a common denominator " within the meaning free. As FDP President he sought the dialogue with other parties. Under his direction, the goals of his party for the term of 1979/83 were an election platform under the motto "more freedom and responsibility - less government " worked out. At the parliamentary elections in 1979, the FDP reached over 24 % share of the vote. In 1982 the new liberal executive " principles of modern liberalism ", in which, the liberal core ideas were discussed to date and Switzerland based. After the parliamentary elections in 1983, the FDP formed with 23.3% of the vote - the first time since 1928 - again the largest delegation in the National Council and the Federal Assembly.
Economy and Society
Richter was involved in numerous social and economic organizations. Since 1959 he was co-designer of innovative the traditional Neuchâtel watch industry, whose " ingenuity " he valued highly. He was vice-director of the Swiss Watch chamber (La Chaux -de-Fonds ), as well as president, among others Neuchâtel Trade and Industry Chamber ( Chambre du neuchâteloise commerce et de l'industrie ) and of several Neuchâtel research institutes of the watch industry: Swiss research laboratory for watchmaking technology ( Laboratoire Suisse de Recherche Horlogère ), Swiss Association for watches Research ( Association Suisse pour la Recherche Horlogère ) Swiss Foundation for technical Research finely ( Fondation Suisse pour la Recherche en Microtechnique ).
Judges presided the Swiss inland shipping company. Not only as FDP President, but also as antretender SRG president, he welcomed 1983, the liberalization of the media law and the licensing of private and commercial local radio stations, as competition from the state monopoly media.
In the military judge commanded an infantry battalion, he was chief of staff of two border brigades and reached the rank of Colonel in the General Staff of the Swiss Army.