“Guaranteeing our safety — Vote YES for the deportation of foreign criminals” — UDC

The Not-So-Subtle Racism of the Swiss Far-Right

Political campaigning by the Swiss far-right party UDC tells a story of emboldening racism over the past decades.

A unique voting tradition

Nested in the heart of Europe, tiny, neutral Switzerland takes pride in its unique political system. A consequence of being the only country to run a direct democracy, the alpine nation has a dynamic public life and is home to fierce political campaigning.

Up to four times a year, Swiss people are called to vote on federal, cantonal, and local matters in what is known here as votations populaires.

After more than a century of operation, the system is properly oiled and most of the voting is easily done by mail. A few weeks before the day of the votation, every eligible citizen gets a voting pack that includes information memos, the position of Congress and the Executive branch, the positions of the parties,… Here is a Wikipedia picture of the pack, to give you an idea:

By Sandstein — Own work by uploader. CC BY 3.0

Parties on the fringes of the political spectrum took heed of the…