Voters Shift To The Right, Support For Greens Drops Sharply

Switzerland held federal elections on Sunday for its National Council and first round for the Council of States (runoffs will be held through November). The anti-EU and anti-immigrant Swiss People’s Party (SVP) won the election again increasing its share of the vote by 3.3pp to 28.6%. The Social Democrats were second increasing their share by 1.1pp to 18% but both Green parties saw a drop in support.

• The vote will give the SVP another 9 seats bringing the total to 62 well ahead of the SD on 41. The right as a whole have increased their share of the 200 seat Council with the 11 seat loss of the two Green parties weighing on the left’s.
• The other party to increase its support in the October 22 poll was the Centre which saw a 0.8pp increase in the vote share to 14.6% putting them in third place ahead of the liberals (FDP) who fell 0.7pp to 14.4%. The Centre will hold the balance of power in the National Council.
• Turnout was low at 46.9% but better than 2019’s 45.1%.
• On December 13 the seven members of the governing Federal Council will be elected. Only one of the current members is not standing again and it is usual practice that their party, which in this case is SD, will put forward another candidate. Currently there are 2 councillors from the SVP, SD, Liberals and one from the Centre. But with the Centre coming in third, they may contest one of the Liberals councillor positions.