Swiss Review 1/2019

Swiss Review / January 2019 / No.1 7 protected bank secrecy domestically and permitted low- level surveillance by detectives of those receiving social security. However, in the energy transition Switzerland tended to remain on a centre-left course: the exit from nuclear en- ergy is a done deal. In addition, the disagreement between the SVP and the FDP prevented a close alliance between the conservative parties. Their positions on the European issue are far apart. The SVP would be prepared to end the free movement of persons with the EU, something the liberals reject because of the negative consequences it could have for the economy. At times the Council of States also stopped the National Council, which had moved to the right, for ex- amplewhen it decided on extensive austeritymeasureswith regard to needs-basedminimumbenefits for the elderly and disabled. In the Council of States, the moderate conserva- tive FDP and the ChristianDemocratic People’s Party (CVP) have traditionally led the way; currently the CVP and the Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP) form a majority. High flyer SVP slowed down The SVP in particular, which had become accustomed to success, was forced to deal with setbacks. For years, the party had its finger on the pulse of the times with its initi- atives against immigration and the European Union. Then in 2016, something unexpected occurred: voters and the Council of States clearly rejected the so-called implement- ing initiative. The SVP’s initiative was aimed at further tightening the rules regarding the deportation of criminal foreigners, which had already been approved by voters. A broad alliance of politics, business, science, culture and civil society now felt that boundaries were being crossed and called for the separation of powers and for fundamental rights to be maintained. “The vote was a turning point,” says political scientist Michael Hermann (see interview). The electorate restrained “some of the SVP’s power grab”. The 2015 election winner encountered headwinds. At elections, the party found it- self more isolated than before. It lost seats in parliament at the cantonal elections. And had the elections taken place last autumn, it would have lost ground at the national level, according to the Swiss Radio and Television election ba- rometer, but would still remain by far the strongest force. Unlike the SVP, the FDP, the SP and the Swiss Green Party (the Greens) can expect an increase in votes, according to the barometer. Greens thrive, SP stable Politics in Switzerland is not only shaped by political par- ties, but also by issues. Four years ago this benefited the SVP, as its core issues of refugees and immigration were at the top of the electorate’s list of concerns. Nowadays, other is- sues concern people themost: the annual increase in health insurance premiums, and the retirement provision. The hot and dry Swiss summer of 2018 also propelled the environ- ment back into the electoral arena. The parties are reacting accordingly. The SP and CVP hope to score points in the election year with popular initiatives on health care costs, and the FDP too presented a reform programme. The Greens speak of “climate elections” and see a confirmation of their central issue. The SP, the second largest political force in Switzer- land, is experiencing a slight upswing. While the Social Democrats in neighbouring countries have experienced some historic defeats, for example in the German state of Bavaria, the Swiss SP has gained parliamentary seats in the cantons. It is able to portray itself as a counterforce to the shift to the right, especially since the 2017 election of Ignazio Cassis, the rather liberal-conservative FDP Fed- eral Councillor, which also shifted the national govern- ment to the right. The performance curve of the Greens shows a strong upward trend. They gained additional seats in cantonal par- liaments and, according to the election barometer, could even gain the most votes in autumn. Some are already flirt- National Council and Council of States elections 2019 On 20 October 2019, parliamentary elections will be held in Switzerland. The electorate in Switzerland and the Swiss Abroad who are entitled to vote will re-elect the two chambers of parliament for the next four years: the National Council with 200 seats and the Council of States with 46 seats. The National Council, the large chamber, represents the voters. The Council of States, the small chamber, represents the cantons. In the 2015 elections, the parties achieved the following number of votes: SP 18,8 % GLP 4,6 % BDP 4,1 % SVP 29,4 % Others: 7,9 % GPS 7,1 % CVP 11,6 % FDP-Liberale 16,4 %