[Culturechat] Political fur in CH

[Vance Roy]

On Dec. 10, the political fur is going to fly in Bern. On that date, 
the Federal Councillors (the executive branch of the government made up 
of members of the parliament elected by the same) will be elected for 
the next four years. one of these acts as President and Vice-President 
of CH on a yearly rotation. The "magic formula" of the past twenty plus 
years will have to change to accommodate two members instead of one of 
the far right party, since they got more votes in the last elections 
and gained seats in parliament. This party is Herr Blocher's baby, and 
he has written across his forehead his desire to be a Federal 
Councillor. The seven Federal Councillors now include one member of the 
far right (SVP), two members of the far left (SP), two of the center 
right (FDP), and two of the center left (CVP). The SVP has won another 
seat, so someone has to go. If this doesn't happen, the SVP will drop 
from the coalition (their present boy says he will make up his own 
mind). This would mean that they would be in opposition to the whole 
government and with 28% of the votes, they could cause troubles that no 
one wants.

Speculations are running wild here about who is going to have to give 
up the seat. The centrist parties have been the favorite, but the SVP 
says that they wouldn't mind knocking an SP off. These are the 
antithesis of the SVP. Everyone insists that they are not going to be 
the one that goes. Blocher is a billionaire head of a chemical industry 
and is a bit Ross Perrot like. He is an ultra conservative from Zurich 
and is charismatic. He wants no part of the EU, wants lower taxes at 
the expense of the social programs, wants fewer foreigners allowed in 
(hope he doesn't mean me), and a few dozen other changes all tending to 
go back to the good old days.

At the same time, Blocher is in no way like Herr Haeder in Austria. He 
knows that he won't get all that he wants, but he wants to see change. 
He is no Nazi. I can't understand a lot of what he says in dialect, but 
I like some of his thought as opposed to the SP who are mainly French 
Swiss and would like to see CH a socialist state. The SVP has even made 
inroads into that area.

These days there is a lot of jockeying for position. Some of the 
incumbents are really nervous. December 10 will tell the tale, I think. 
look for some new faces, but I wouldn't bet the farm on Blocher, since 
he may have to let one of his less volatile cohorts be his mouthpiece.


Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch
http://homepage.mac.com/fredch

“Never under estimate the ingenuity of the stupid.”
Anon.