10/22/2023 1:20 pm (current 10/22/2023 1:30 pm)
The Swiss elected a new parliament on Sunday. The polls were only open for a few hours because the vast majority of voters had already voted in the four weeks before election day. The vote was in the 200 seats of the National Council and the 46 seats of the Council of States. A first projection was expected around 4pm.
As the Swiss “Sonntagszeitung” reported, the parties left no stone unturned in the final effort before the elections to attract as many supporters as possible to the polls. However, voter turnout in Switzerland is traditionally low in parliamentary elections and is around 45 percent. Given the predominance of the migration issue in the electoral campaign, a recovery by right-wing populists was expected.
The Council of States, which represents the cantons of Switzerland, is dominated by the center-right Die Mitte party and the liberal FDP.Die Liberals, which is unlikely to change, according to forecasts. In the National Council, the right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is on its way to consolidating its position as the strongest political force. According to polls, the Greens could suffer losses and lose the opportunity to enter government again.
On December 13, the 246 newly elected parliamentarians will elect the seven members of the government known as the Federal Council, whose composition is likely to remain unchanged. Seats are split 2-2-2-1 between the four main parties. According to predictions, it would again be Die Mitte, FDP, Liberals, SVP and Social Democrats.