Anti-immigration Party Wins Swiss Election in 'Slide to the Right'

Swiss People's Party SVP President Toni Brunner laughs
after a debate at the house of Parliament in Bern

THE TELEGRAPH: Anti-immigration Swiss People's Party (SVP) wins biggest share of vote in parliamentary election on Sunday, prompting talk of a "Rechtsrutsch" - a "slide to the Right"

The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party (SVP) won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday's national parliamentary election, keeping pressure on Bern to introduce quotas on people moving from the European Union.

Success for the SVP, coupled with gains made by the pro-business Liberal Party (FDP), led political commentators to talk of a "Rechtsrutsch" - a "slide to the right" - in Swiss politics.

Immigration was the central topic for voters amid a rush of asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.

"The vote was clear," SVP leader Toni Brunner told Swiss television. "The people are worried about mass migration to Europe."

Sunday's result cemented the SVP's position as the dominant force in Swiss politics. » | Reuters | Monday, October 19, 2015

Swiss Far-right Party SVP Aiming to Make Election History
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The far-right Swiss People's Party is aiming to make history at Sunday's elections by winning over 30 per cent of the vote, a result which could upset the main parties' long-standing power sharing deal.

While the SVP's anti-immigrant campaigns, including calls to ban minarets and expel foreign criminals, have drawn sharp criticism on the international arena including from the United Nations, the party has managed to increase its vote share in successive Swiss elections.

In 2003, the party obtained 26.6 per cent of votes case. At the last elections that improved to 28.9 per cent.

Those 1997 results were the highest for any Swiss party since the introduction of the proportional representation system in 1919, an SVP spokesman said.

Crossing the 30 per cent mark "would therefore be a new record," he added.

The latest opinion polls showed 29.3 per cent of voters planning to back the SVP, far more than the next most popular party the Socialists, with just 19.9 per cent.

That could bolster the populist party's case for greater cabinet representation. » | Thursday, October 20, 2011

My comment:

The Swiss are very clever people who always look after 'number one' first. The Swiss are a very proud people who love their country. They like it the way it is, and they want to keep it that way. And who can blame them for that? – © Mark

A modified version of this comment appears here

Swiss Politician Bans Minarets then Converts to Islam
Al-JAZEERAH.info: The Swiss politician Daniel Streich, who rose to fame as a result of his opposition to mosques in his homeland, has now embraced the faith he reviled.

Daniel Streich was a member of then Swiss People's Party (SVP) in Switzerland. A well-known politician, Streich led the calls for a ban on minarets across Switzerland. He was active in building anti-Muslim sentiments throughout Switzerland. This sustained campaign led to him being given a high ranking position in the Swiss Army.

SVP Witch Hunt

Streich left the SVP in November 2009 calling his party's campaign against Islam as a 'witch hunt.' The date coincided with the second anniversary of Streich's conversion which he had kept secret from the party.

With the party's campaign to ban minarets leading to a referendum, Streich said the situation had become unbearable for him. >>> Faisal Hanif | Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Anti-Minarett-Initiative – Ex-SVPler: «Schweiz braucht mehr Moscheen»
20 MINUTEN ONLINE: Daniel Streich, Militärinstruktor und bis vor Kurzem SVP-Politiker in Bulle, ist aus der Partei ausgetreten. Grund: Er ist zum Islam konvertiert. Zwei Jahre lang verheimlichte er dies seiner Ex-Partei. Jetzt - mit der «Hetzjagd gegen den Islam» - wurde die Situation für ihn untragbar.

Er war ein treuer SVPler und Christ, las die Bibel und besuchte regelmässig die Kirche. Nun liest der Militärinstruktor und Gemeinderat von Bulle, Daniel Streich, den Koran, betet fünfmal täglich und geht in die Moschee. «Der Islam bietet mir logische Anworten auf wichtige Lebensfragen, die ich im Christentum nicht abschliessend fand», sagt Streich. >>> dp/20 Minuten | Montag, 23. November 2010

Muslime in Uniform: Sicherheits-Risiko für unsere Armee?
BLICK.ch: ZÜRICH – Daniel Streich ist Militärinstruktor. Und: Er ist Muslim. Das ist kein Einzelfall. Ein Problem für die Schweizer Armee?

Lange hat er sein Doppelleben geheimgehalten. Einerseits strammer SVP-Rechtsaussen und Militärinstruktor. Anderseits streng praktizierender Muslim. Er bete fünfmal jeden Tag und gehe in die Moschee. Jetzt habe Streich die Flucht an die Öffentlichkeit angetreten, berichtet «20 Minuten». Hat sich öffentlich zum Islam bekannt – und den Austritt aus der SVP bekanntgegeben. Jetzt will Streich der BDP von Bundesrätin Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf beitreten.

Wieviele Muslime in der Armee?

Offiziell gibt es keine Infos zur Anzahl der Muslime in der Armee. «Die ist wahrscheinlich viel höher, als uns bewusst ist», sagt Strategieexperte Albert A. Stahel von der Uni Zürich gegenüber Blick.ch. Es gebe zahlreiche eingewanderte Kosovaren, Bosnier, Türken, die heute als Eingebürgerte Militärdienst leisteten.

Sind Muslime in der Armee ein Sicherheitsrisiko? Diese Frage wird in westlichen Demokratien zunehmend diskutiert, seit der muslimische Militärpsychiater im texanischen Fort Hood wegen seinem Hass auf die USA 13 Kameraden tötete.

In der Schweiz gibt es einen Bericht über die politische Einstellung der Imame in der Schweiz, den das VBS erstellt hat, aber nicht veröffentlichen will. Ob auch etwas über Muslime in der Armee und mögliche Auswirkungen steht, ist ebenfalls nicht bekannt. Islam und Armee: «Gleiche Macho-Kultur» >>> Von Michael Scharenberg | Dienstag, 24. November 2009

Anti-Dhimmitude in Switzerland! Swiss Voters Back Ban on Minarets
With this one referendum, the Swiss have shown more spunk than the rest of the West put together! Bravo! – © Mark
BBC: Swiss voters have supported a referendum proposal to ban the building of minarets, official results show.

More than 57% of voters and 22 out of 26 cantons - or provinces - voted in favour of the ban.

The proposal had been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, (SVP), the largest party in parliament, which says minarets are a sign of Islamisation.

The government opposed the ban, saying it would harm Switzerland's image, particularly in the Muslim world.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Bern, says the surprise result is very bad news for the Swiss government which also fears unrest among the Muslim community.

Our correspondent says voters worried about rising immigration - and with it the rise of Islam - have ignored the government's advice.

"The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," said the government in a statement, quoted by the AFP news agency.

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the result reflected fear of Islamic fundamentalism.

"These concerns have to be taken seriously. However, the Federal Council takes the view that a ban on the construction of new minarets is not a feasible means of countering extremist tendencies," she said.

She sought to reassure Swiss Muslims, saying the decision was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture".

Switzerland is home to some 400,000 Muslims and has just four minarets.

After Christianity, Islam is the most widespread religion in Switzerland, but it remains relatively hidden.

There are unofficial Muslim prayer rooms, and planning applications for new minarets are almost always refused.

Supporters of a ban claimed that allowing minarets would represent the growth of an ideology and a legal system - Sharia law - which are incompatible with Swiss democracy. >>> | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Votations Fédérales : La construction de minarets interdite en Suisse
20MINUTES.ch: Des minarets ne pourront plus être érigés en Suisse. L'initiative populaire «contre la construction de minarets» a été clairement acceptée dimanche, ce qui constitue une surprise.

«On faisait confiance à la lucidité du peuple suisse, c'est une énorme déception», a déclaré Youssef Ibram, imam du centre culturel islamique du Petit-Saconnex (GE). Photo : 20Minutes.ch
Près de six votants sur dix et ont appuyé le texte. Celui-ci était perçu par les opposants comme une menace pour la paix religieuse en Suisse.


L'initiative antiminarets était donnée perdante par les sondages. Elle a pourtant clairement passé la rampe: une majorité de 57,5% des votants (1.534.054 personnes) ont dit «oui» et seuls quatre cantons s'y sont opposés, à savoir Genève (59,7% de «non»), Vaud (53,1%), Bâle-Ville (51,6%) et Neuchâtel (50,8%). En Suisse romande, les cantons du Valais, de Fribourg et du Jura ont approuvé l'initiative par respectivement 58,0%, 55,9% et 51,2%. Le Tessin a dit «oui» à 68,1%, Berne à 60,7% et Zurich à 51,8%. La participation s'est élevée à 53,4%.

Lancée par des membres de l'Union démocratique du centre (UDC) et de l'Union démocratique fédérale (UDF), l'initiative «contre la construction de minarets» avait été déposée en juillet 2008 avec plus de 113.000 signatures valables. Demandant d'inscrire dans la Constitution fédérale la phrase «la construction de minarets est interdite», elle requerrait la double majorité du peuple et des cantons. L'UDC était le seul parti gouvernemental à recommander le «oui». «Islamisation sournoise» >>> ap | Dimanche 29 Novembre 2009

Die Schweiz verbietet den Bau von Minaretten: Deutliche Zustimmung zur Volksinitiative
NZZ ONLINE: In der Schweiz wird der Bau von Minaretten künftig per Verfassungsartikel verboten. Das Stimmvolk hat eine entsprechende Volksinitiative angenommen. Die Zustimmung fiel überraschend hoch aus und beträgt 57,5 Prozent.

In der Schweiz wird der Bau von Minaretten verboten. Das Stimmvolk hat der Anti-Minarett-Initiative aus Kreisen der SVP und der EDU wider Erwarten zugestimmt, und zwar deutlich: 57 Prozent der Stimmenden sagten Ja. Bei der letzten Umfrage von Mitte November hatten sich lediglich 37 Prozent der Befragten für die Initiative ausgesprochen. Mit ihrer umstrittenen Kampagne gelang es den Befürwortern offenbar, in der letzten Phase des Abstimmungskampfes viele Unentschlossene für sich zu gewinnen. >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

Referendum in Svizzera, sì a proposta stop minareti
REUTERS ITALIA: GINEVRA - Gli elettori svizzeri hanno approvato oggi la proposta della destra di vietare la costruzione di nuovi minareti, in un risultato sorprendente destinato a creare imbarazzo al governo neutrale della Svizzera.

L'agenzia di stampa elvetica Ats e altri media hanno detto che nel referendum circa il 57,5% degli elettori e 22 dei 26 cantoni hanno detto sì alla proposta avanzata dal partito di destra Swiss People Party (Svp).

In Svizzera sia il parlamento che il governo hanno respinto la proposta dicendo che viola la costituzione del Paese, la libertà di religione e la nota tradizione di tolleranza svizzera. Secondo il governo elvetico una modifica della costituzione per proibire la costruzione dei minareti potrebbe "fare il gioco dei gruppi estremisti". >>> | domenica 29 novembre 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: «Eine grosse Peinlichkeit»: Reaktionen auf das Minarett-Verbot >>> | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

TAGES ANZEIGER: Minarett-Verbot liefert Ghadhafi neue Argumente gegen die Schweiz: Das Verbot von Minaretten in der Schweiz hat die islamische Welt überrascht und schockiert. Der Volksentscheid könnte politisch instrumentalisiert werden, wie ein Experte meint. >>> vin/sda/ap | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

NZZ ONLINE: «Gegen Minarette, nicht gegen eine Glaubensgemeinschaft» : Der Bundesrat zum Ausgang der drei eidgenössischen Volksabstimmungen >>> wab. Bern | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

NZZ ONLINE: Applaus vom rechten Rand Europas: Rechtsgerichtete Parteien feiern Ja zur Anti-Minarett-Initiative >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. Novembre 2009

NZZ ONLINE: Spontane Demonstrationen in Bern und Zürich: Einige hundert Personen äussern Unmut gegen Anti-Minarett-Initiative >>> sda | Sonntag, 29. November 2009

LE TEMPS: Votation Minarets : Les Suisses refusent massivement les minarets >>> Le Temps avec ATS | Dimanche 29 Novembre 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Switzerland risks Muslim backlash after minarets vote: Switzerland risked a Muslim backlash on Sunday after its citizens voted overwhelmingly to ban minarets on mosques. >>> Alexandra Williams in Geneva | Sunday, November 29, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Swiss voters 'back ban on building of minarets' >>> Charles Bremner in Paris | Sunday, November 29, 2009

Swiss People’s Party Force Referendum on Minarets
THE GUARDIAN: Far right groups in Switzerland have collected enough signatures to force a nationwide referendum on banning minarets, the distinctive towers of Islamic architecture.

In what is being seen as a sign of growing Islamophobia in Europe, more than 100,000 Swiss citizens signed a petition to halt the construction of minarets.



Under Switzerland's direct democracy rules, that level of support is enough to trigger a referendum. The Swiss interior ministry today confirmed a vote would take place, without setting a date. Swiss Far Right Forces Vote on Minaret Ban >>> By Matthew Weaver and agencies | July 8, 2008

TIMESONLINE:
Racism Row in Switzerland over Minaret Ban Referendum >>> By David Charter, Europe Correspondent | July 9, 2008

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