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The SVP doyen believes that the SVP Switzerland’s restraint is fundamentally correct, unless the allegations are true.
Neither the new party president Marcel Dettling nor parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi wanted to comment this week on the allegations against the young SVP. The leadership of the young party also came under internal criticism because the strategy chief met with the Austrian Identitarian Thomas Sellner. Other members are close to the right-wing extremist Junge Tat.
Christoph Blocher would also prefer to skip the topic. There is something being exaggerated by the media and thus distracted from the real problems in the country, says SVP Doyen to SRF’s Sonntagsrundschau. Basically, this is the young party’s business. The parent party doesn’t have to get involved. There is also internal criticism from sections of the young party who are demanding consequences.
Frustrating migration policy
He himself always worked to ensure that no significant political party could emerge to the right of the SVP. The SVP has absorbed the former car party. The Swiss Democrats are marginalized.
However, Christoph Blocher denies that the party is repeatedly criticized for its proximity to right-wing extremists.
Anyone who supports a stricter deportation regime is not yet a right-wing extremist.
Whether these “solutions” are effective in individual cases is of course a different question, explains the former Federal Councilor, who as Minister of Justice was once responsible for migration policy. It is understandable that young people are looking for radical solutions in view of the inaction of the authorities towards criminal foreigners. Anyone who supports a stricter deportation regime is not yet a right-wing extremist.
If he was actually a racist and spreading hate speech, then I would talk to the boys.
However, the Austrian Identitarian Martin Sellner who is currently in focus is a well-known right-wing extremist who is being refused entry by various European countries because of his writings. Blocher told SRF that he had read up on Thomas Sellner’s latest book and thought it was harmless. But the former Federal Councilor adds: “If he was actually a racist and spread hate speech, then I would talk to the young people.”
Separation from extremists
However, you shouldn’t attack the young people, you just have to make it clear to them that extremists don’t want the same things as the SVP, emphasizes Blocher. The party leadership will probably seek talks with the young party in due course, adds the party’s doyen.
I have always avoided contact with right-wing parties abroad.
In principle, Christoph Blocher is convinced that the SVP certainly does not have an extremism problem. Things are sometimes different in surrounding countries. This is one of the reasons why, according to the former Federal Councilor, he always kept his distance from other right-wing parties.