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“The people want solutions, not just the opposition,” is what leading SVP circles say. The designated new SVP President Marcel Dettling will be held responsible within the party.
“Every problem we have in Switzerland can be traced back to immigration,” is how SVP father Christoph Blocher sums up the basic attitude of the SVP.
The views of the designated new party president Marcel Dettling are no less radical on the migration issue – even to the point of considering canceling the refugee convention. Dettling led the campaign for the SVP on the so-called limitation initiative, which was directed against the free movement of people. As campaign manager for the SVP Switzerland, he also focused on the migration issue.
Change required
Some within the SVP warn that one should not lose sight of other issues in addition to migration. Benjamin Giezendanner is one of them. Because it could be that other issues are more pressing than migration in the next elections.
“Then you have to have solutions for the issues,” says the SVP National Councilor from Aargau. He had put himself forward for the office of SVP president before Dettling announced his candidacy. For him, Dettling is also the ideal person to lead the party.
In an interview with the “Rundschau” Giezendanner says: In the longer term there could be a risk of electoral losses if the party does not change. “Voters who are strongly behind us today may then no longer be in this world. We have to attract younger people.” For example, with suggestions in family policy, but also in climate and energy policy.
Ogi: “The people want solutions”
Former Federal Councilor and former SVP party president Adolf Ogi also warns about Dettling: “He is no longer the campaign manager, he will be president of the largest party. This also gives you the greatest responsibility.”
According to Ogi, the SVP would have to actively look for solutions together with the FDP and the center. “You just can’t do opposition,” he says. «The people want solutions. This is how the people measure politicians – including those from the SVP.”
Schaffhausen SVP Councilor of States Hannes Germann sees it similarly: “You should also focus a bit on solutions, not just on pointing out and managing the problems.”
The party can only grow towards the center, certainly not towards the right. Nevertheless, he looks forward to the time with Dettling at the head of the party with hope.
Sharp rhetoric as a plus
For most in the party, Dettling’s right-wing positioning and his sharp rhetoric should be a plus point. This is also how SVP doyen Christoph Blocher sees it when the “Rundschau” asked him about the new party president on the right-wing fringe.
«He has to stop there! There can no longer be a democratically legitimate party to our right,” says Blocher. So this is the order from Herrliberg for the new party president. Dettling will be officially elected at the delegate meeting on March 23rd.