[Culturechat] CH Politics

[Brian Taussig-Lux]

One difference I've found interesting with the European political 
constellation is the different ways conservative parties approach the same 
problems as their counterparts in the U.S.

The Catholic parties (often known as Christian Democrats) stand for 
"traditional family values."  Their base is generally social conservatives 
of all economic classes.  They tend to be more pro-business, especially 
small business, than the leftist parties.  So far, no surprises.  They 
differ from their U.S. counterparts when they advocate paid maternity 
leave, direct payments to mothers for bearing children, and a strong social 
safety net.  They favor policies that further the agenda of making it 
easier for mothers to stay home with the children while the fathers 
work.  (A different approach to "family values") Their social policies on 
abortion, gay rights, etc. generally line up with those of the Catholic 
church.  They favor immigrants from Catholic countries over those from 
other (usually Muslim) countries.

The so-called "Liberal" parties, still on the right, favor more 
laissez-faire (liberal) economic policies to benefit small and large 
businesses, lower taxes, and fewer social programs.  They usually line up 
with parties on the left on abortion, gay rights, etc.

Then there are the newer breed of right-wing parties that are harder to 
categorize.  These would include Blocher's party, the Austrian "Freedom" 
party, Le Pen's party in France, and the "National Democrats" in 
Germany.  These are strongly anti-immigration (often anti-immigrant) 
nationalist parties.  This is their defining trait.  On social and economic 
issues they line up with the Catholic or the Liberals in varying ways.  The 
Austrian "Freedom" party, for example, favors improving payments to mothers 
for bearing children, lowering taxes, and they self-destructed recently 
after being unable to agree internally over the issue of purchasing new 
fighter jets for the military.  These parties are usually against the 
European Union because of the transfer of power away from the national states.

It's as though the Republicans were split into three different, more 
homogeneous parties.

I think Switzerland's conservatives are further fractionalized, including 
an old party called the "Radicals."  Right, Vance?

At 02:09 PM 12/12/2002 +0100, Vance Roy wrote:
>After the election of a new Bundesrat member (sort of like a sever person 
>cabinet level position to which members of the CH Congress can be 
>elected), the so-called "magic formula" has been preserved. this formula 
>is based upon the ration that the different parties gain in elections to 
>the upper house of the parliament. One of the Bundesrat rotates yearly as 
>the titular president of CH. This certainly does not allow any 
>"presidental mystique" to form, the poor president has a bit more work 
>without a pay raise, as far as I can tell.
>
>One needs to understand a quirk in CH politics; liberals are said to be on 
>the "right", and conservatives are said to be "left". The opposite of the 
>USA. There are four parties represented in the Bundesrat which serves as 
>the executive branch of the government. The smallest of these, the 
>Christian Democrats, still has two Bundesrat seats. This irritates The 
>People's Party which only has one. This party is the most conservative and 
>would compare to a far right Republican group in the USA. It is felt that 
>it is only a matter of time until the far right gains another seat at the 
>expense of the Christian Democrats (it does have more support among the 
>populace than the Christian Democrats). A recent shuffle in each 
>Bundesrat's departments has made it less likely that the far right will 
>move into areas of responsibility such as economy, foreign policy, and 
>interior. The newest Bundesrat is a grandmother from the French part of CH 
>and as expected will be very much to the liberal side of things. The 
>vice-president for the coming year will be a lady also. She will be the 
>youngest VP ever, I believe. It is likely that she will succeed to the 
>presidency in 2004.
>
>Vance Roy
>gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
>http://homepage.mac.com/fredch
>
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Brian Taussig-Lux
Idyll, Ltd.

(888) 868-6871 x33