On October 21, 2007 the Swiss population will be electing a new federal parliament.

Swiss voters will elect all 200 members of the House and 44 of the 46 members of the Senate.

There is no national ballot. Strictly speaking, the federal election consists of 26 cantonal elections held on the same day. Voters are only allowed to vote for candidates in the canton where they are officially registered. Candidates run in one canton only.

The 4 major parties in this country (and as such represented in the Federal Council) are the Christian Democrats (CVP/PDC), the Social Democrats (SPS/PSS), the Liberal Democrats (FDP/PRD) and the Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC).

The latter is the most right-wing of the four, steadfastidly defending patriotic values until the bitter end…and by all means. And so, every four years, we are treated to the most unambiguous campaign, such as this year’s:

svp.jpg

You’ll certainly have gotten the message: let’s kick the “black sheep” out of our country, the said sheep being criminal foreigners.

I wouldn’t call myself a leftie, nor do I support the building of minarets in Swiss villages (forcing “integration” down people’s throats is not the solution; it only causes EVEN MORE dissent and prejudices).

But I can’t help feeling that the SVP (UDC in the French-speaking part) just went a little overboard with the following video – which has since been removed from their web site by court order:


Note the transition between heaven (Himmel) and hell (Hölle): Joseph G. would have been proud of you!

P.S. And why was the video banned may you ask?

Because the youth featured above had been told that they were acting in a movie against violence and not for some party’s propaganda.