Swiss reject tougher citizenship rules for foreigners, against measure to approve candidates by secret ballot

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Swiss voters rejected a plan that would make it even harder for foreigners to obtain citizenship in a referendum, called by the far-right Swiss People's Party. Some 64 percent of voters rejected the measure, meant to approve candidates for citizenship by secret ballot.

Lead candidate of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), Christoph Blocher, head of Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police and Minister of Justice, has come under heavy international criticism for leading a campaign that emphasizes sharp measures against immigrants.

Switzerland's population of 7.5 million includes about 1.6 million foreigners, including many workers from southern Europe and refugees from the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

The People's Party claims foreigners are responsible for much of the crime in the country. Party posters featuring white sheep kicking out a black sheep sparked outrage blamed in part for a riot two weeks before the election -- a rare show of violence against a political party. The party became the largest in Switzerland four years ago under the leadership of charismatic billionaire Christoph Blocher.

2003 election - Christoph Blocher unseated the center-right Christian Democrat, Ruth Metzler, to win a seat in the seven-strong government.

On December 10, parliament handed a cabinet seat to Christoph Blocher - the figurehead of the rightwing Swiss People's Party. The big losers are the Christian Democrats, who now have just one minister in government compared with two for each of the other main parties.

Blocher's election alters the balance of power -
- threatens to split the government. He unseated the Christian Democrat, Ruth Metzler, in the cabinet election, altering the balance of power among the four main political parties for the first time in more than 40 years.

- complicates EU relations. Blocher believes EU membership will force Switzerland's economy downwards. As a member of the seven-strong cabinet - whose official policy is still to join the EU - it could be difficult for Blocher to toe the line.

- The press speaks of a conservative revolution. The Swiss press has spoken of a historic change with the arrival of the rightwing Swiss People's Party figurehead, Christoph Blocher, in government.

2007 election -
December 12, 2007, Christoph Blocher has been ousted, losing his seat in cabinet in a major political upset.

The two chambers of parliament, meeting to elect the seven-member government, chose Blocher's party colleague Eveline Widmer- Schlumpf instead following last-minute horse-trading among the parties.

The joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate had been expected to confirm the seven members of the cabinet unchanged for the next four-year term. The first four ministers were elected without incident but when it came to Blocher, the house was split. Blocher secured 111 votes, while 116 parliamentarians voted for wildcard candidate Widmer-Schlumpf. The majority was 120.

In a second round Widmer- Schlumpf garnered 125 votes out a possible 242, defeating the justice minister. In the run-up to the cabinet election the focus was on attempts to unseat billionaire businessman Blocher, who represents the rightwing People's Party. The People's Party had threatened to go into opposition if Blocher was not re-elected.

Center-right and center-left parties regarded Blocher's combative manner as a threat to the tradition of consensus in the government. On the eve of the election, the Christian Democrats declared that most of their members would vote against Blocher.

The Green Party, which is not represented in the cabinet, initially put forward a candidate to stand against Blocher. It withdrew its candidate shortly before the vote when Widmer-Schlumpf emerged as an alternative to Blocher.

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Photos courtesy of Keystone/Bundeskanzlei, swissworld.org, picture-alliance/dpa, and AP

Original Source: swissinfo, swissinfo, and CNN, and Deutsche Welle