What a difference a day makes: Swiss politics exciting just now!

Hello again

It’s been a fascinating time politically here just these last two days.

As you may have heard, we had government elections yesterday. The Upper and Lower Houses of the Swiss parliament vote the seven members and the Chancellor in or out. Six of the seven Federal Councillors were confirmed without a hitch.

But, amazingly, Christoph Blocher has been ousted and will have to leave the Federal Council at the end of 2007. For the past four years he has been one of the most controversial members of the Federal Council. He is an intelligent but polemical, autocratic, authoritarian right-winger. One of the wealthiest men in Switzerland (Ems Chemie), he and his party, the SVP (Swiss People's Party), have been advocating some of the most xenophobic legislation, demonstrating a significant lack of respect for the disenfranchised. The SVP only last autumn launched an infamous ad campaign showing three white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag (the idea has since been adopted by neo-Nazis in Germany, France and Italy -- shame!).
(see also http://moutonsdegarde.ch/mdg/view.php -- in German, French, Italian -- within seven weeks 30'637 people signed this non-partisan organisation's petition in protest against the SVP campaign's disrespectful messages)

And here's a spooof of the infamous ad -- the caption reads: "Popular Initiative for the Deportation of Harmful Politicians." It's not often that an initiative has such an instantaneous effect ... ;)

Blocher and the SVP got their comeuppance yesterday: in the second round of voting, CB was beaten by Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.
She is not even currently a member of parliament but has an excellent track record as a member of the government of the canton of the Grisons (Graubuenden) where she managed to turn cantonal finances from deep red into comfortable black. She's probably the exact opposite of Blocher: a sensible, fact-driven, fair-minded full-blood politician. Not fighting my corner, exactly, but totally acceptable. She'll enjoy the support of a vast part of the Swiss parliament, even in the greener, left-wing corner. Everyone bar the diehard rightists are ecstatic as Mrs Widmer promises to be a really good, team-spirited politician. Where Blocher alienated anyone not strictly toeing the SVP party line, Widmer will work hard to achieve sustainable, fair policies.

It is not the first time a Federal Councillor was not granted a second term in office, but Blocher and his party have taken it very hard indeed and are threatening to go into the opposition. The SVP may well split apart. Which would be no bad thing, as they've been granting far too much ground to extreme, racist right-wingers in the past.

Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is woman number three in the seven-person Federal Council. Parliament also elected a woman Chancellor, Ms Corina Casanova. This means that the Swiss government is now virtually gender equal.

For once, this here blogger is perfectly happy with the Swiss political system. I'm very much hoping that the new government will take some much-needed decisions on the impending climate disaster, on immigration, on development aid, on policing and education that will position Switzerland where it needs to be: at the top of the list of countries working towards a sustainable future – socially, economically, politically.

Peace!