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Switzerland’s right-wing populists are expected to make gains after polls closed at the general election on Sunday.
Concerns about immigration are among voters’ top concerns, according to surveys, as are climate change and rising fees for the country’s obligatory, free-market-based health insurance system.
Initial projections of the results suggest the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) — which has already been the strongest party in the country for 20 years — has increased its share to win 29% of the vote.
The party ran an ad campaign that was branded “xenophobic” by the Federal Commission Against Racism because it focused on crimes perpetrated by foreigners.
Meanwhile, the Social Democrats (SP) are projected to get around 17%. The Greens and the Green Liberals, who made massive gains four years ago, are expected to lose votes this time around.
Voting in Switzerland
The new members of parliament will in turn appoint the Swiss federal government in December.
The lower house, the National Council, is elected by proportional representation.
Meanwhile, the upper house or Council of States is largely elected by majority vote.
The first two seats in the upper house were won by the newly formed party The Center.
One of them was a candidate who was elected unopposed and the other was elected earlier in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden by the Landsgemeinde — a form of direct democracy where people gather in the town square and raise their hands.
The parliamentary election is one of two main ways that Switzerland’s population of 8.5 million have their say. The other is through regular referendums that are usually held four times per year.
zc/rc (AFP, dpa, AP)
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