The Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which centered its campaign on anti-immigrant rhetoric, is projected to win 29 percent of the vote, up from 25.6 percent four years ago and higher than pre-election polls. It has been the country’s largest party since 2003.
Does Switzerland even have meaningful immigration to be concerned with banning it?
Isn’t this the country where communities vote on their neighbors’ citizenship applications?
20% of the population is immigrants. But the vast majority aren’t Muslim, so this party seems like it would be targeting Christians more than Muslims in actuality. Though I doubt they admit that to anyone.
In the cities it can even reach 40%. They are mostly Germans and from other European countries. The numbers are high because citizenship is difficult to get. SVP however is strong in the countryside, not in cities. Most concerns are about refugees from the middle east and Africa.
SVP are clearly racist, anti-Muslim based on past referendums and rhetoric. The european court for human rights is denounced by them as “foreign judges” who are blocking the will of the Swiss people. But no, they don’t admit to being racist.
Religion doesn’t give immigrants a pass. They’re poor, look different, and will take our jerbs. Also, unrelatedly, everything’s too expensive and no one wants to work anymore. The US’s immigrants are overwhelmingly Christian, but the “Christian” party hates their guts.
1/3 of swiss popularion are not from here. But yeah, it’s silly, with the whole 4-cultures thing in swiss.
Most of which are German or Italian, then, somewhat curiously, Portugal before France. Austria+Germany together are the largest group by language spoken. (And yes Austro-Bavarian does qualify as German (when compared to Swiss German)).
The Portuguese are the low-cost, seasonal (construction) workers in West-Switzerland. That’s how they are before the French.
My first thought as well. I’ve always heard it was pretty difficult to move to Switzerland.
There’s plenty of immigration or our economy would get crushed by our ageing population.
And there may still be some villages where they still vote on this, but most places have it regulated. The rules are inconvenient however so our immigration number is high (20-25%) even if they’ve lived here for years.
~1/3 of swiss population are not from here. But yeah, it’s silly, with the whole 4-cultures thing in swiss.