Racism Overshadows Swiss Elections

Poor Jews. Can't catch a break.

ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss right wing has raced ahead in general elections in a move which could unsettle the neutral nation's
renowned political stability by rocking the foundations of the 44-year-old coalition government.

A polarisation in voter sentiment saw support swing behind the anti-immigrant Swiss People's Party (SVP), which edged out the
left-leaning Social Democrats (SP) to become the nation's most popular group, a Swiss television projection showed on Sunday.

Proud of its neutrality and impeccable democratic credentials, Switzerland has long played on its strength as a stable political nation,
building up a reputation as a safe haven for offshore wealth in turbulent times.

But strong gains for the SVP point to increasing concerns in the recession-hit nation of rising unemployment and a falling standard of living.
The party also reinforced Switzerland's isolation by campaigning against closer ties with EU neighbours.

Launching a make-or-break bid for more power in the four-party coalition cabinet, the SVP put forward the nation's most controversial
politician for a ministerial seat -- a move observers say could undermine the nation's stable reputation.

"The developments of this evening surely show us that the myth of a stable political Switzerland is probably waning away now," said Julius
Baer Chief Economist Janwillem Acket.

He said that a change to the so-called "magic formula" could block reform.

"The result of the general election is a prelude to more political instability in this country and probably the prelude to the vanishing of another
myth -- the special status that Switzerland has enjoyed since the end of the Second World War."

Higher turnout boosts Rightwing gains
The rightwing Swiss People's Party has benefited from the increased turnout in Sunday's parliamentary election, according to an election analysis.

The survey by the GfS research institute also blamed the interior minister, Pascal Couchepin, for the disappointing result of the Radical Party.

The post-election analysis has found that Couchepin's policy of increasing health insurance premiums and the way he informed the Swiss about it were the main reasons for the party's poor outcome.

It further showed that the huge gains by the Swiss People's Party and the Green Party are a clear indicator of the voters' polarisation in this year's election.

The high number of swing voters - voters who have no allegiance to any political party - is, say the analysts, another sign of polarisation.

Polls show that some former supporters of the Radicals swung to the Swiss People's Party, and the Social Democrats and the Green Party gained votes from the Christian Democrats.

Voter turnout
One of the main findings of the opinion poll, which was commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, is the impact of this year's increased turnout.

According to the Federal Statistics Office, the turnout was at 45.6 per cent, which is up 2.3 per cent compared with four years ago.

Analysts say the voter turnout has overcome its lowest point and is now back to where it was in the eighties.

The survey also found that the People's Party is the only party to really benefit from the increased turnout as its share had especially increased in those cantons, which saw a rise in voter turnout.

The survey referred to the party's huge success in western Switzerland, where it boosted its share by 10 per cent in Vaud, Fribourg and Geneva. All three cantons have seen their turnout rise significantly since the last election.

Magic Formula
The GfS researchers also asked the participants whether their attitude towards Switzerland's Magic Formula - a system of dividing cabinet seats among the main parties - had changed since the election.

Two month ago a majority of the people questioned was in favour of keeping the system - an attitude that has barely changed since.

Most of the voters are of the opinion that the Magic Formula has worked well so far but, they say, they would also understand if the distribution of the seven seats in the cabinet changed according to the share of the votes of the party.

However, the analysts found that the attitude towards the Magic Formula depended on the voter's political affiliation.

Only 18 per cent of those, who voted for the People's Party, believe in the Magic Formula in its present form while 60 per cent of the supporters of the Christian Democrats think it has worked well so far.

The survey is based on telephone interviews with 1,000 voters all over Switzerland. It was conducted from Sunday afternoon, after polling stations had closed, until Monday morning.

Only people who voted in Sunday's parliamentary elections were allowed to take part in the survey.

swissinfo, Hansjörg Bolliger (translation: Billi Bierling)

Poor Jews. Can't catch a break.