The hard-right Swiss People's Party, which wants to tackle mass immigration and political correctness, vowed Monday to seek pragmatic solutions with other parties after comfortably winning Switzerland's general election.
Final results published Monday showed the Schweizerische Volkspartei (Swiss People's Party SVP) took 28.6 percent of the vote on Sunday for the National Council lower house of parliament, improving its share by three percentage points.
"We defend freedom, security and independence," SVP president Marco Chiesa told the Tribune de Geneve newspaper.
"The citizens of this country have given a clear mandate to politics: to face reality and provide solutions."
The left-wing Social Democrats were left trailing on 18 percent of votes cast, while the centre-right party Die Mitte (The Centre) garnered 14.6 percent and the right-wing party called FDP.The Liberals 14.4 percent, with all three chasing parties largely flatlining.
The Greens failed to replicate their dramatic 2019 election gains and slid back four percentage points to finish fifth on 9.4 percent.
Switzerland, national parliament (lower chamber) election today:
— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) October 22, 2023
6:00 PM CEST gfs.bern seat projection for SRG SSR.
UDC/SVP~RE: 61 (+8)
PS/SP-S&D: 40 (+1)
LC/DM-EPP: 30 (+2)
PLR/FDP-RE: 29
LV/G-G/EFA: 22 (-6)
PVL/GLP-RE: 11 (-5)
PEV/EVP-ECR: 2 (-1)
UDF/EDU-*: 1
LEGA~ID: 1… pic.twitter.com/UKsOYQ6ktj
Swiss politics relies on consensus and Chiesa said he hoped to forge alliances with other parties to address voters' concerns.
"The fact is today there are nine million inhabitants in Switzerland and we are heading towards 10 million," the 49-year-old said.
"I want to pursue a pragmatic policy: less political correctness, more issues that really concern people," he said, citing population growth, a secure energy supply and Swiss independence - a key topic for a party that stands strongly for Switzerland's military neutrality and on remaining outside the European Union.
'A haven for stability'
Electors in the wealthy Alpine nation voted for all 200 seats in the National Council lower house of parliament by proportional representation and all 46 in the Council of States upper chamber, by majority vote.
In the National Council, the results left the SVP on 62 seats (up nine), ahead of the Social Democrats on 41 (up two).
The Centre, a merger of previous parties, now has 29 seats and FDP.The Liberals 28.
Though Switzerland is one of the world's richest countries -- with unemployment at around two percent and GDP per capita very high -- the rising cost of living has hit hard, notably through surging health insurance costs.
Pascal Sciarini, a professor of political science at the University of Geneva told AFP that the SVP has prospered from being a force in opposition and "has no real incentive to become a real party of government".
An editorial in the Blick newspaper saw little real change as a result of the election.
So kam es zur Grünen-Niederlage und zum SVP-Sieg https://t.co/ndxte79BHx
— Blick (@Blickch) October 23, 2023
"Parliament will have a slightly more right-wing composition. But actually it's just a return to the tried and tested. And Switzerland is a haven of stability," the paper said.
Le Temps said the Covid-19 pandemic had hardened the political climate in Switzerland and the SVP now needs to stop acting like an opposition party, "take responsibility and no longer just divide".
Elections were also held for the 46 seats in the Council of States, which represents the cantons that make up Switzerland.
The 246 newly-elected parliamentarians will choose the seven members of the government on December 13.
The government takes decisions by consensus.
(With newswires)
