Léon Nicole

Léon Nicole was a prominent trade unionist, journalist, politician and member of the Grand Council of Geneva and the Swiss National Council. In 1933, he was a member of the first Cantonal government in Switzerland with a Socialist majority and the first socialist ever elected to lead a Canton. He was elected the first President of the Swiss Party of Labour in 1944. In 1952 he was expelled from the Party of Labour because of his opposition to the party's support for Swiss neutrality on the grounds of the Zhdanov doctrine. He accused his former party of nationalism and Titoism, and in 1954 set up a rival communist party called the Progressive Party.