Switzerland’s right-wing People’s Party (SVP) has achieved one of its strongest results ever in national elections, capitalizing on concerns surrounding immigration. Projections from public broadcaster SRF indicate that the SVP is expected to secure 29% of the votes, an increase from 25.6% in the previous elections. This result exceeded expectations from opinion polls and came just shy of their previous record of 29.4% in 2015. The official results are scheduled to be published later on Sunday.
The SVP, Switzerland's most popular party for the past two decades, has focused primarily on domestic issues, particularly immigration and the economy. With a desire to limit the country's population to 10 million people, the SVP argues that the current infrastructure is overstretched and there is a housing shortage. SVP President Marco Chiesa highlighted the party's stance by stating, "We have problems with migration, with illegal migrants. The Swiss people have given us this mandate, but also given this message to all of Swiss politics."
In addition to immigration, the SVP aims to preserve Switzerland's traditional neutrality, despite calls for a stronger response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The party also seeks to cap the costs associated with the transition to sustainable energy. This rise of right-wing groups echoes a broader trend across Europe, with Germany's AfD receiving a boost in recent regional elections and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni maintaining a strong position in polls after a year in office. The anti-immigrant Freedom Party is also the front-runner for Austria's 2024 elections.
The sense of insecurity has played a significant role in shaping the Swiss election, according to Michael Hermann, head of pollster Sotomo. The collapse of Credit Suisse and its subsequent takeover by UBS Group AG in March cast doubts on the stability of the Swiss banking system. Hermann stated, "This is the shift to the right that we expected. But the right-wing won’t be able to dominate — there are balancing forces in parliament."
According to projections, the Social Democrats came in a distant second place behind the SVP, with the pro-business Free Democrats and the Center Alliance tied for third. Both of Switzerland's Green parties suffered losses, reversing most of the gains they made in 2019. Interestingly, Switzerland's executive is unlikely to experience a significant shift due to the 7-seat government not being formed through a coalition or outright majority, but rather through an agreement between the largest parties. The election for ministers will take place on December 13, and the centrists have already announced that they won't challenge the sitting members.
The SVP's victory translates into eight additional seats in the lower house, bringing their total to 61 out of 200 seats. This right-wing surge is further exemplified by the success of the MCG alliance in Geneva, where the local populist group campaigned for preferential treatment of Swiss workers over French workers while promoting left-wing social policies.
While the SVP's win energizes those who want the party to take more radical positions instead of compromising, it is important to note that the outcome of parliamentary elections holds less weight in Switzerland compared to other countries. The Swiss political landscape is shaped by frequent initiatives and referendums, allowing voters to have a say on various issues such as corporate tax and immigration.
In light of this rightward shift, the Social Democrats may have to rely more on plebiscites to influence policy. Priska Seiler Graf, a lawmaker from Zurich, stated in an interview, "The Social Democrats will probably have to make greater use of plebiscites to correct the shift to the right." With frequent voting opportunities, national election turnout in Switzerland remains traditionally low, although the 46.5% recorded on Sunday was higher than in 2019 but still one of the lowest in Europe.