Re: Swiss elections and referenda - New Federal Councilor(s) election 7 December

[Zinneke]

Thanks for all your updates, parochial.

Do you think Europe and relationship to EU will come back on the table as the Left gathers more momentum? Did the SVP "losses" against the EU play a part in their slump?

[Zinneke]

Was listening to a podcast about "Zurich brannt" in the late 80s...what was the deal with that and did any parties like the Greens essentially emerge from it?

[Zinneke]

Are the UDC seriously demanding to blow up the bilaterals thinking the Brexit style negotiations would deliver better results? UK would kill for the conflict resolution mechanism the Swiss have with the EU for example!

[Zinneke]

Staying on the theme of the UDC, they should finally end their misery and elect a new leader on Saturday. Excepting a major surprise, it should be Ticino Conseiller aux États Marco Chiesa (a surprise victor lat October), who would become the first Latin leader of the country's most germanic party. In theory he comes from the standard hardline on immigration (unsurprising for a ticinese) and is close to the Blocher family. However, he does have a more "social" fibre, as befits a Latin politician. He actually used to run and EMS (care home) and has staked out a more moderate line on things like paternity leave or welfare spending. During the 2015-19 parliament he was rated as the most left-wing of the UDC's national council delegation.

In theory that might mean the UDC moving slightly leftwards on those sorts of issues, although in practice unlikely as the real decision making power still lies with the cantonal sections. Chiesa also doesn't speak particularly good German, which leads to the worry of the party being increasingly dominated by Christoph Blocher's daughter Magdalena.

Do you really use the word Latin to describe Italian-speaking Swiss in Switzerland? I find that totally odd.

I think he means Francophone too.

[Zinneke]

Great thread!
What's the deal with this Von Dreyen figure :https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/conspiracy-theorist-19-banks-fortune-from-swiss-r87shnbwt

I don't really trust the Times after their hot takes on Dutch politics

[Zinneke]

tell me about it...

[Zinneke]

https://mobile.twitter.com/alexandreafonso/status/1307197380815712256

[Zinneke]

Are Swiss Germans that protective of their dialect though? Are they afraid of German cultural takeover to that extent?

[Zinneke]

Well, I don't Know the extent of the influence of the French debate on Swiss Romands, but "Manif Pour Tous" was a well oiled, well prepared, well versed political machine, to the extent that their anti-gay marriage propaganda points are sometimes used by the tiny.minority of Walloons who oppose progressive legislation on LGBT matters. Precisely because their arguments, although initially religious-based, were adapted to the secular debate. And homophobia in France in a more "respectable" way is allowed to persist.

I don't think the German speaking world saw anything similar.


Anyway a great result regardless!