Posted on 10/21/2007 12:06:45 PM PDT by Redmen4ever
It appears that the People's Party (unfairly described as "far right") has won 29 percent of the vote, up 2 points from 2003.
The Social Democrats dropped to 19 percent, from 3 points.
The Free Democrats (or, Radicals), a pro-market liberal party finished third, with 16 percent (down from 17).
The Christain Democrats, a mildly conservative center right party, fourth, with 15 percent (unchanged).
The Green Party together with a so-called Liberal Green Party, totalled 11 percent (up 4 points).
In one sense, the results represent little change from 2003. A net of 1 point shifted from the three main center-right or right-wing parties, effectively to a new Liberal Green Party (which I suppose is something of a compromise between a pro-business party and a pro-environment party).
In another sense, it confirms the shift that has been occuring in Switzerland, reflected in the 2003 elections.
In Switzerland, there is a huge majority for small-ish government, and a growing sentiment in the right of center partues against immigration.
Seems like every western nation is backtracking from immigration, except the US.
Maybe its time for us to be less “isolationist”...as the nutty liberal globalists say....when it comes to immigration....keep up w the rest of the world
ping.
Given what seems to this US observer as a minor shift in percentages, does this mean any change in immigration policies? Or has that change been ongoing since 2003 (the prior election)? I suspect the Swiss have watched the last week of rioting in a neighboring country. I had hoped for a more clear cut statement by the electorate.
Even some Europeans are fed up with liberals inviting the third world to export their problems into their homes.
“The Free Democrats (or, Radicals), a pro-market liberal party finished third, with 16 percent (down from 17).”
The pro-market party is called the “radicals.” That’s not a good sign.
It seems that even Old Eurpoe is starting to wake up to the threats of radical Islam (external) and radical-liberalism (internal).
Could this bode well for American conservatives in 2008?
The Free Democrats of Switzerland, or “Radicals,” were instrumental in establishing a viable democratic government in Switzerland in the “Revolution of 1848.” I think this was the only real, permanent advance of freedom and democracy in that so-called Revolution. Even today, freedom remains a “radical” idea. While maybe 60 percent of the human race live in democratic countries, these countries have very high taxes and social meddling. Most of the times, voters have to choose the lesser of two evils. I would love for our country to have a Free Democratic Party of Giuliani types Republicans, a Christian Democratic Party of Huckabee types, and a Peoples Party of Tancredo types, that between them got 60 to 65 percent of the vote.
“Seems like every western nation is backtracking from immigration, except the US.”
None of these nations have an equivalent to our ACLU, who would protest any reduction in immigration quotas, and none of them pride themselves in being multicultural.
Good news. The people have realized that some immigration is bad and voted to reverse it.
Expect the American media to completely bury this.
Change comes slowly to the Swiss; always has.
only if we heed the lesson they are experiencing. First France ...now Switzerland moving right. America needs to wake up and see where we dont wont to go.
They have been watching the news from The Netherlands.
I wonder how my Uncle voted (a Swiss national).
As a German living near the Lake Constance I still pray each day to God that he persuades the Swiss to invade my country to free me from my rotten government in Berlin.
;)
Seriously - we expected Blocher and his SVP (Schweizer-Volks-Partei or Swiss-Peoples-Party) to win much more. De facto this slight gain in votes is a setback for him since he obviously reached his zenith without having a major impact on Swiss politics. Christoph Blocher is around 70 years in the meantime and he has not much time left to complete his “conservative revolution”.
The country will stay under the reign of the exactly same administration as before. (Bundesrat - 7 members) of two SVP (Peoples Party), two FDP (Freisinnige), one CP (Christian Democrat) and two SP (Social Democrats... ...Socialists). There will be absolutely no practical changes in Swiss politics.
bump...and good for the Swiss!
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