A Swiss party known for its anti-immigration policies has become the most popular party in Switzerland’s political history.
The nationalist Swiss People’s Party won the best single-party vote ever recorded for a political party in the land-locked mountain nation. But because of Switzerland’s complex voting system, Sunday’s national parliamentary election still leaves the country ruled by the same four-party government, covering a wide spectrum of political views.
The nationalist movement, which ran a campaign blaming non-whites for much of the country’s crime, achieved 29 per cent of the parliamentary vote, one per cent higher than any previous single-party vote.
It added seven seats to bring its total to 62 in the 200-seat National Council, the lower house of parliament. In the campaign the People’s Party called for a law to throw out entire immigrant families if a child violates Swiss laws. The policy proposal was just the most recent variation in the party’s long-running anti-foreigner theme.
“I’m very happy,” said People’s Party president Ueli Maurer.
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