In the Swiss national elections held on Sunday, Switzerland appeared to be leaning towards the right, prioritizing concerns about immigration and political correctness over fears about climate change and melting glaciers.
According to initial projections from Swiss broadcaster SRF, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the largest political party in Switzerland, is expected to gain 29% of the vote, which is 3.4 percentage points higher than the previous election in 2019.
The SVP’s campaign focused on preventing the country’s population, currently at 8.7 million people, from exceeding 10 million.
Additionally, the party garnered support from individuals worried about the sluggish economy and the increasing cost of living, as indicated by pollsters GFS Bern.
On the other hand, the left-wing Social Democrats (SP) stand to benefit from rising healthcare costs. Switzerland’s second-largest party is projected to increase its share by 0.4 percentage points to reach 17.2%.
In contrast, the Greens are expected to experience a decline in their share of the votes, dropping by 4.1 percentage points to 9.1%.
It is unlikely that this outcome will alter the composition of Switzerland’s government, the Federal Council. Currently, the seven cabinet positions are divided among the top four parties based on their share of the vote.
“Four years ago, people were more idealistic and progressive, which explains why the Greens performed well. However, now people are more concerned about security and have become more conservative again,” stated Michael Hermann, a political analyst at pollsters Sotomo.
“The SVP has been successful by raising fears about so-called ‘wokeness’ and refocusing on migration,” added Hermann.
Reporting by John Revill and Cecile Mantovani; editing by Barbara Lewis.
