Summary of the day
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is expected to boost its position in this weekend’s election.
Polling by the Sotomo research institute shows the right-wing party is set to garner 28.1% of the vote – an increase of 2.5 percentage points over its previous standing.
Christian Imark, a member of the Swiss parliament from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, said that he believes the party can boost its share of the vote this weekend because “immigration, the energy security and the increase of energy cost” are “our main topics.”
Fabian Molina, a member of the Swiss parliament from the Social Democratic party, said that he believes that the cost of living – and in particular the cost of health insurance – ended up being the most important issues for voters in the campaign. “We will win back what we lost last time,” he said.
Margot Chauderna, a vice-president of the Swiss Green party and co-president of the Young Greens in Switzerland, said that “the climate is still a central concern” for Swiss voters.
Line Rennwald, a senior researcher at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences, said that she expects a return to normal vote shares in this election and some policy shifts following the vote.
More readers weigh in
Renaud, a Swiss working in the EU, writes that “for me, the central question is Switzerland’s relation to Europe, which no party wants to discuss for now, as they all believe the question to be toxic.”
“It’s however unavoidable,” he added, “and I assume will be one of the central issues on the political agenda once that election has passed.”
Noel, a British-Swiss national, writes that “as often happens in Switzerland, a lot of voting will be based upon potential risk to the Swiss Franc in one’s pocket.”
“I found myself having to balance potential long term future needs for my family, my daughters (eg climate risks) versus the short term risk to tax increases etc. In Switzerland it will *always* come back to tax and financial implications.”
Key event
Pascal Sciarini, dean of the Geneva School of Social Sciences, told the Guardian that there are no big differences in this campaign compared to Switzerland’s last election – but that the context has changed.
Four years ago, there was the climate crisis that was at the centre of all preoccupations. Survey polls show that climate change was the main worry among Swiss citizens … The climate crisis is still on the top of preoccupations, but it’s not the only one. Now, the issue of the cost of living, of the cost of energy … ranks first actually among the Swiss public. And then comes the climate change, and together with the issue regarding immigration and asylum policy. So while four years ago, climate change was certainly the number one, and alone, this time, there is a competition between issues and I think this may account for both the decrease we expect for the Greece and the increase that we expect for the Swiss People’s Party.
Asked about criticism of the Swiss People’s Party’s campaign materials, the academic said “it’s a continuation.”
The Swiss People’s Party, he said, “plays with the red line – so it’s always at the limit of the red line in terms of what is acceptable and what is not.”
Simon Berthoud, head of communication at Climate Alliance Switzerland, a group representing 140 NGOs in Switzerland, says that the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) “is already very strong in Switzerland, but its strengthening would be even more catastrophic for climate policy in the coming years.”
“Even if the SVP’s very high score doesn’t materialize, it will very likely remain Switzerland’s leading party. So, whatever the outcome, we’ll need to continue organising in our neighborhoods, schools and workplaces, and use the other tools of direct democracy to get Switzerland moving on climate issues.”
Updated
Another reader weighs in
Sylvia, a British national living in Zurich, writes in that “it is deeply uncomfortable to watch the SVP’s electoral campaign unfold.”
Pointing to campaign materials she receives almost daily in the mail, the reader says her “‘expat’ group chat is currently aghast at these flyers, exchanging photos back and forth of increasingly outrageous depictions of the so-called dangers of immigration.”
She sent a photo.
Election dynamics 'a return to normality', researcher says
Line Rennwald, a senior researcher at the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences, told us this afternoon that she expects a return to normal vote shares in this election and some policy shifts following the vote.
The key issues on the agenda during the campaign were the cost of health insurance, migration and cost of living, she said.
Turnout in Switzerland is “relatively low,” the researcher said, noting that some citizens “do not expect from anything from parties or from the election, there is a disillusionment with politics.”
“The last election was very exceptional, in the sense that the greens ... had a very stronger increase in their vote share,” she said, adding that “this year’s election is more a return to normality.”
“It’s almost certain that the composition of the government will not be affected by this election,” Rennwald said.
But, she noted, “the share of the different parties in parliament matters” and “probably the right-wing parties will increase the number of their seats” meaning changes “on some specific issues.”
Climate 'central' for Swiss voters, green politician says
Margot Chauderna, a vice-president of the Swiss Green party and co-president of the Young Greens in Switzerland, told the Guardian that “the climate is still a central concern” for Swiss voters.
During the campaign, she noted, the cost of the medical insurance was also discussed and “migration questions were brought up by the right and far-right.”
When it comes to climate, since 2019 “all parties kind of took the subject” and the far-right in Switzerland is now “openly climate-sceptic, and doing everything to block what the left and the people who care about the environment are trying to do,” she said.
“We are the voice of the climate in parliament,” Chauderna stressed, noting that in a key campaign moment for the Greens, over 60,000 recently demonstrated in Bern to “say, ‘hey, we still care about the environment, we are still in an emergency.’”
Updated
Reader weighs in
Max Voegtli, a community mobiliser at Renovate Switzerland, writes in:
“Indeed it is a consequential race for Switzerland as the far-right party continues to grow through fear mongering. However in the midst of a climate crisis where our glaciers are melting at record pace and we are breaking heat record after heat record, what is remarkable is the general failure of all our politicians in acting on the climate crisis.”
“We see any small progressive measure to install more renewable capacity, insulate homes, get off fossil fuels or indeed even reduce the blatant favouring of highways over railways, bogged down in the mud with our parliament able to make no headway,” he added.
“This, although the climate crisis remains the second highest concern amongst voters, the best our politicians can offer is more foot dragging,” he said.
Updated
Here are some images from Switzerland’s election campaign.
Updated
Immigration and energy security key on campaign trail, right-wing MP says
Christian Imark, a member of the Swiss parliament from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, told the Guardian that he believes the party can boost its share of the vote this weekend because “immigration, the energy security and the increase of energy cost” are “our main topics.”
Imark said that immigration is a “big problem” for Switzerland because it means there is a need for more infrastructure and housing.
The parliamentarian said that he can feel a difference on the campaign trail compared to an election four years ago.
“You feel it’s much better for us,” he said, noting that “people are coming” to campaign events “and they want to talk with us more than four years ago.”
But, he said, much will depend on turnout on Sunday.
Updated
'We will win back what we lost', social democrat says
Fabian Molina, a member of the Swiss parliament from the Social Democratic party, told the Guardian today that he believes that the cost of living – and in particular the cost of health insurance – ended up being the most important issues for voters in the campaign.
“For middle class families, the rise of the health insurance prices is the major problem in their daily budget,” he said in a phone interview.
“The Swiss People’s party tried to push migration as a topic,” he said, adding that he thinks it “did not work out as well as in other campaigns.”
Climate change – which Molina said was “the main topic four years ago” – is still a big issue for voters but “was not very dominant in the campaign” this time around.
Green parties made big gains in Switzerland’s last election in 2019. But now, Molina said he expects voters will make a course correction.
“We will win back what we lost last time,” he said.
Swiss right-wing set to make gains, poll shows
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is expected to boost its position in this weekend’s election.
Polling by the Sotomo research institute shows the right-wing party is set to garner 28.1% of the vote – an increase of 2.5 percentage points over its previous standing.
The Social Democratic party is also set to make gains, coming in at 18.3%.
The Centre party (Mitte) is at 14.3%, and the Liberals at 14.1%.
The Greens are set to see the biggest losses, polling at 9.7% – a decline of 3.5 percentage points.
Welcome to the blog
Good afternoon and welcome back to the Europe blog.
Today we will be looking at Switzerland’s upcoming federal elections, scheduled for Sunday.
Swiss voters will elect members for the 200-seat National Council and 46-seat Council of States.
Send your thoughts and comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
