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SVP leader Marco Chiesa
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
In the parliamentary elections in Switzerland, the right-wing populists have strengthened their position as the strongest political force. The Swiss People's Party (SVP) won 29 percent of the vote, according to a projection published on television on Sunday evening. The Social Democrats (SP) came in at 17.4 percent, with the party "Die Mitte" and the FDP fighting for third place. The Greens suffered a heavy defeat.
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The main issue in the election campaign was migration policy, which apparently benefited the SVP. Their election posters were emblazoned with anti-immigrant slogans and calls for the closure of Switzerland's borders. According to the projection published at 18 p.m., the party gained 3.4 percentage points and thus won 61 of the total of 200 seats in parliament, the National Council.
The SP, for its part, gained 0.6 points and will now have 40 MEPs. »Die Mitte« was also able to make slight gains; the FDP recorded slight losses compared to the 2019 election. The losers of the election are the Greens, who, according to the projection, lost four percentage points in voter favor. They landed at 9.2 percent.
The 200 seats in the National Council and the 46 seats in the Council of States were voted on Sunday. Together, the two chambers form the Federal Assembly, which elects the seven-member government – the Federal Council – in December. This is made up of the four strongest parties according to the 2-2-2-1 scheme.
jae/AFP