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Most studies of parliamentary voting consider party group cohesion but ignore an alternative cohesion based on individual features and extra-partisan ties. Because of institutional specificities (independence of the executive from the legislative, coalitional government, militia character and strong ties of MPs with interest groups), the Swiss Parliament represents an interesting case to test whether party cohesion might be challenged by extra-partisan affiliation. We use original data on a four-year legislature in the Swiss lower chamber. It appears that some extra-parliamentary groups such as trade unionists, farmers and women, actually behave in a cohesive way. However, formally organized political groups still reach higher cohesion levels, especially leftist and oppositional parties. Alternative ties essentially bring extra cohesion to smaller subgroups inside party groups. The professionalization and revaluation of the Parliament, as well as the polarization of the party system since the beginning of the 1990s, reinstated party loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]