The far-right and euroskeptic Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is set to make its strongest-ever showing in national elections, according to exit polls published Sunday night by the SSR public broadcaster.
The SVP, which centered its campaign on anti-immigrant rhetoric, is projected to win 29 percent of the vote, up from 25.6 percent four years ago and higher than pre-election polls. It has been the country’s largest party since 2003.
In an election dominated by domestic issues, the three other main parties — the Social Democrats, the Free Democrats and the Center Alliance — were seen as recording roughly the same result as in the previous ballot, with SD on 17 percent in exit polls (compared to 16.8 percent in 2019), and the FDP and Center with 15 percent each (the Center was born in 2020 of a fusion of two parties which gained 14 percent combined in 2019).
Support for the Greens dipped in the exit polls to roughly 9 percent compared to 13.2 percent in 2019.
The Swiss vote for 200 seats in the lower chamber of parliament, the National Council, and 46 seats in the upper chamber, the Council of States. Since 1959, all the major parties have been represented in the seven-member government — the Federal Council — which is elected by members of parliament.
The final results were scheduled to be announced on Sunday evening.
