Swiss Elections Center On Immigration Issue

Last month, we read reports coming out of Switzerland about strong anti-immigration sentiment brewing. And now, with elections just two weeks away, there is more coming out of the land known for its majestic mountain scenery and banks.

From the IHT comes this article. It centers around a poster and a campaign that questions the wisdom of allowing immigrants that contribute little of anything to society (except for keeping police jobs secure) to remain in Switzerland.

Many that know Europe well, know about the countless political parties that exist. They understand small fringe parties (that sometimes make noise during an election cycle) usually end up beaten, when the votes are counted. But this isn't the case, here.

From the article:

The posters taped on the walls at a political rally here capture the rawness of Switzerland's national electoral campaign: Three white sheep stand on the Swiss flag, as one of them kicks a single black sheep away.

"For Greater Security," the poster reads.

The poster is not the creation of a fringe movement, but of the most powerful party in Switzerland's federal Parliament and a member of the coalition government, an extreme-right party called the Swiss People's Party, or SVP. It has been distributed in a mass mailing to Swiss households, reproduced in newspapers and magazines and hung as huge billboards across the country.

It's going to be interesting to see the outcome of these elections. Even more interesting will be the rest of Europe's response, if this party wins big.