Polls closed in Switzerland on Sunday, Oct. 21, ending what may become known as the most acrimonious campaigning in Swiss history. Accusations of racism in the far-right Swiss People Party were the focus of the campaign. Votes were being counted after a relatively strong turnout estimated at about 50 percent of the 4.9 million voters. The last opinion poll by Swiss television on Oct. 10 indicated that the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) was set to win 27.3 percent of the vote, 0.6 percent more than its score in the 2003 election. The left-of-center Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) at 21.7 percent while the Christian Democratic Party (CVP/PDC/PPD) and the Radicals (FDP/PRD) were neck and neck with 15.4 and 15.5 percent respectively. The SVP and its leader, Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, were intensely criticized for a campaigning stance focusing on immigration and crime. The right-wing SVP Party’s Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The SVP’s black sheep campaign has lost it few voters Despite being denounced by the UN special rapporteur on racism for inciting racial hatred in its xenophobic campaigning and for pledging to deport non-national criminals, the SVP has struck a chord with […]