It was actually quite clear: Albert Rösti (55) from Bern was considered the logical successor to the outgoing SVP Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer (71). But now Zuricher Hans-Ueli Vogt (52) is still causing excitement with his candidacy. The «Weltwoche» celebrated this week the attack of the lion of Zurich on the Bernese bear and took a hard look at Albert Rösti.
Rösti did not show this yesterday at the delegates meeting of SVP Switzerland in Lucerne. Is the former SVP party chairman ready to face the parliamentary groups? “It is important to await the decision of the committee of inquiry and the parliamentary group,” Rösti said in Sunday’s view. “But I have my arguments together.” Then he took a seat at the table of the cantonal Bern, at the back right of the room. Former National Councilor Hans-Ueli Vogt sat with the people of Zurich in the front left.
All the way in campaign mode
But the SVP deputies did not want to know about the tensions between the sections yesterday. The party went into full campaign mode. Your President Marco Chiesa (48) smells the dawn: Switzerland is in an energy crisis – and immigration is on the rise. Chiesa made it clear yesterday: these two topics will dominate the SVP election campaign in 2023. The country’s independence, security and prosperity are in danger, Chiesa shouted into the room. The “left-green destroyers” are to blame: “Left-green means back to the Middle Ages. Left green means freezing in winter. Green left means a total loss of reality.”
In his ten-minute speech, Chiesa used the term “left green” no less than 30 times. “I want to show clearly where the danger comes from,” the party chairman told SonntagsBlick. “The energy crisis and immigration are the major challenges. We can’t leave that to the left.”
Crisis management as a recipe
Chiesa has ordered campaign manager Marcel Dettling (41) to win 100,000 additional voters. Dettling will orchestrate a frontal attack against the left. In the middle: Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga (62). Yesterday, hardly a single speaker passed on their suggestion to shower for two. National Councilor Michael Graber (41), chairman of the referendum committee against the climate protection law: “It is simply ridiculous that a federal councilor in such a highly developed country could demand such a thing.”
The SVP set the tone for the election campaign. The recipe is crisis management. And something like that dominates the SVP. The other parties must dress warmly – even if there is no blackout.