A little honesty - not a lot - works for the Swiss right
Keen cuckoo clock observers will no doubt be aware of Sunday’s election in the gun-toting, bank-ridden concantenated canton-nation called Switzerland. The result was a resounding success for billionaire industrialist Christoph Blocher’s Swiss People’s Party, and for white sheep everywhere.
The SVP already holds two of the seven seats on the ruling Federal Council, and is the largest party in the bicameral parliament. As forecast it increased its share of the poll from 27.7% to 29%, continuing its steady progress from the 22% base won in 1999.
Ueli Maurer (who is, in fact, party leader - not Blocher) said, “We have reached the highest score ever since this electoral system began.”
This is impressive by any nationalist measure, and compares with the solid if, now, unspectacular success of Vlaams Belang in Flemish Belgium. Notwithstanding the SVP’s entrenchment within the power structure, and its consequent and enviable freedom to speak only a lightly varnished truth, there are some interesting parallels between the two parties.
Both present a substantially Conservative - not overtly racial nationalist - prospectus to the electorate. Both have a spiritual disconnection with their French-speaking social democratic fellow-nationals. Both have to play the self-righteous left’s game and deny that they are “racist”, and are pilloried all the same:-
But the SVP has its share of power in the most democratic country in Europe, and it shows in campaign policies like:-
Foreign residents who commit crimes in Switzerland should be expelled after serving their sentences. If they are minors, the parents should be expelled with them.
The construction of minarets - the traditional tower of a mosque - should be forbidden in Switzerland.
When foreign residents of a commune want to acquire Swiss citizenship, the commune should continue to have the right to put their applications to a popular vote.
Foreigners who do not learn the language of the area in which they are resident must leave the country.
The party will surely now claim a mandate to push forward with these ideas. It will be interesting to see to what extent it succeeds.
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The last Belgian opinion poll was released yesterday. Compared to the general Belgian elections on June 10, 2007 this gave the following results:
Vlaams Belang: from 19 to 20%
Lijst Dedecker (in my opinion something of a Vlaams Belang clone): from 6,5 to 7,8%
Make the sum of both parties and compare to Switzerland…
Reference: http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF22102007_027
No surprise here, as Switzerland is the last country in Europe where citizens actually have a say in public matters. It’s not mob rule,; it’s not Party rule; it’s a true Republic.
What citizen in his right mind would let unassimilable foreigners acquire citizenship?
Another good thing going for Blocher and others is that they’re difficult to demonize by the usual suspects.
Posted by Proofreader on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 11:50 AM | #
“What citizen in his right mind would let unassimilable foreigners acquire citizenship?” (—Proofreader)
And what citizen in his right mind would let assimilable foreigners acquire citizenship in numbers sufficient to change his nation’s race?
Posted by Fred Scrooby on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 12:10 PM | #
Scrooby:
And what citizen in his right mind would let assimilable foreigners acquire citizenship in numbers sufficient to change his nation’s race?
You do have a point, Scrooby. Zero inmigration in this day and age is the wise decision.
Thankfully, the majority of non-citizens in Switzerland are Euros (that was my point with assimilable foreigners-of course in small numbers), but give them voting rights and who knows if they´ll be voting against the native Swiss.
Posted by Proofreader on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 07:09 PM | #
It appears the usual suspects are concerned:
Jewish leader: party winner of Swiss elections is bordering on anti-Semitism
EJP Updated: 22/Oct/2007 17:45
Alfred Donath, presidnet of the Swiss Federation of Jewish communities.GENEVA (EJP)---The populist and xenophobic right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which was the biggest winner of general elections on Sunday, is bordering on what can be considered as anti-Semitism, Alfred Donath, president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish communities (FSCI), told European Jewish Press on Monday.
“For us Jews, foreigners are playing a very important role in Switzerland,” Donath said. He referred to Torah, the first five books of the Bible, in which one can read: “Remember that you were a foreigner in the land of Egypt.”
Posted by Desmond Jones on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 07:43 PM | #
Here‘s my reaction to unacceptable Jewish behavior such as that of Mr. Alfred Donath (see Desmond’s comment). These Jews should be immediately expelled from all Euro countries where they agitate for race-replacement in this fashion, without right of appeal: you do it, and you’re Jewish, you’re out. Good bye, and good riddance to bad rubbish.
Posted by Fred Scrooby on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 08:25 PM | #
Jews such as Donath are so predictable, it´s ridiculous.
To paraphrase the bible. “Remember that you are a foreigner in the land of the Swiss. Respect their customs and laws. Be thankful they let you live in their country where you prosper, so just shut up or face deportation.”
What “chutzpah”!
Posted by Proofreader on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 09:23 PM | #
Apparently Blocher has been in the sites of the World Jewish Council for quite a while now.
He financed a campaign, in the mid 90s, opposing the Swiss Holocaust victims fund.
Friday May 9, 1997
Swiss rightists fighting Holocaust fund, worrying Jews
FREDY ROM
Jewish Telegraphic AgencyZURICH—Switzerland’s Jewish community is alarmed over a new campaign by the Popular Party aimed at undermining public support for two Swiss funds created to help needy Holocaust survivors.
“Blackmail is disgusting and ugly,” reads one poster that was posted at key intersections here by the right-wing party, which is part of the governing coalition.
“During the last war, as a small country we accepted more Jews than any other country. We do not want to be praised because we saved Jews, but we reject blackmail connected with guilt,” the poster reads.
The campaign, which also includes advertisements in Swiss newspapers, has sparked fear among many in Switzerland’s 20,000-strong Jewish community.
“Orthodox Jews are afraid to go out alone in Zurich’s streets. Often we are stopped and threatened by people,” said Miryam, a member of Zurich’s Orthodox community who asked to be identified only by her first name.
The Swiss Jewish community is increasingly feeling the effects of the heated controversy that was sparked here after the government established the funds earlier this year in an effort to confront its wartime past.
A recent poll of the Jewish community indicated that 11 percent of the interviewees had been involved in or witnessed at least one anti-Semitic incident since January.
Posted by Desmond Jones on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 09:50 PM | #
Shouldnt that be “in the sights” Desmond?
Posted by Lurker on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 01:42 AM | #
Yes, thanks for the correction.
Posted by Desmond Jones on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 02:37 AM | #
I wonder who these people would be who are “threatening” Jews? Have elderly SS officers suddenly come out of hiding, donned their old uniforms and began “threatening” people? What bullshit from this Miryam. Maybe she could move out of horrible Switzerland. I can think of a few neighborhoods in say Amsterdam or Paris that would love to have her. She will be threatened all right.
This SVP “rightist” party sounds OK with me. Maybe I could send them some money? It wouldn’t be much, but it looks like they would put it to good use. When you are accused of being a Nazi, a racist or an anti-semite you are doing something right! Then again, those terms have gotten so stale and have been flung around so many times by Jews, blacks, muslims, latinos and leftists that they have pretty much lost all meaning to me and I suspect to many others as well.
Avanti SVP!
Fortkommen SVP!
Avancez SVP!
Posted by Anon on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 04:02 AM | #
“When you are accused of being a Nazi, a racist or an anti-semite you are doing something right!” (—Anon)
I’m adding that to my signature slogans.
Posted by Fred Scrooby on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 04:21 AM | #
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