Parties complain in Schwyz’s election campaign: “Totalitarian attitudes” are spreading in Dettling’s homeland

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

A strong wind is blowing during the election campaign in Schwyz. In the home country of Marcel Dettling (43), who is expected to be elected head of the SVP Switzerland on March 23, a heated battle is raging over the replacement of the canton council. As an Instagram post from the SP shows, not always fair. Posters are being destroyed, FDP politician Nathalie Henseler (48) just discovered in Seewen SZ.

And she adds: “It certainly used to be easier to decide whether you wanted to run for office.” In many small municipalities that have only one seat available for the cantonal parliament, the FDP has not found a candidate. Many people were afraid to flee because of the consequences they would have to expect from SVP circles, one liberal said.

“Sad as Heaven”

Something similar can be heard in the center party. One person even surprisingly withdrew a week before the deadline for submitting the electoral lists, because he had made it clear to him that his candidacy would have negative consequences. And a politician who had contact with the center suddenly appears on the SVP list at short notice.

Schwyzer Mitte campaign leader Mathias Bachmann (43) said in the ‘March Anzeiger’ that certain candidates were ‘put under extreme pressure in their village’ because they wanted to run for the center. “That is incredibly sad in a democratic country like Switzerland,” Bachmann told the newspaper. There were no leftists to put pressure on him. He also expressed regret to Blick about “what kind of understanding of democracy is spreading.” And he says: “In certain regions of the canton, a totalitarian attitude is spreading that is incompatible with our democracy,” says Bachmann.

No more posters in Ybrig

And the cantonal chairman of the Schwyzer SP, Karin Schwiter (46), says: “The problem of tearing down our posters has become worse.” In the March region it has been observed time and time again that election posters have been destroyed. “And in Ybrig, especially in Unteriberg, we don’t even try anymore, because our posters disappear immediately.”

As the SP member explains, it has been crucial in Schwyz to stand as a candidate in every municipality since the introduction of a new electoral system in 2016. “But in the small towns where the SVP is dominant, often no one wants to leave the village exposing themselves to the left.” Fortunately, it is possible to stand as a candidate in another municipality. For example, she lives in Lachen SZ and is a candidate for office in Tuggen SZ. But now the rightists tried to abolish this option. “It is already very difficult today to get candidates everywhere. In January, therefore, I was only able to submit the final list in the last hour before the submission deadline.”

Dettling defends himself

The tone is particularly rough on the doorstep of future SVP president Marcel Dettling. When asked, the National Council responded: “We ourselves are the most affected. Our election posters in particular are often torn down. And our posters were smeared with swastikas during the parliamentary elections.” That’s just not right.

The SVP member also explains that he does not know “how our people can put pressure on others.” Moreover, the SVP – like all parties – was busy recruiting good candidates everywhere. “I’m glad we succeeded.”

The future party chairman told Bachmann: “Of course the center has a problem. But it is not our fault that no one wants to stand there anymore, it is because of the politics of the center party.” The canton council of Innerthal, which no longer wants to belong to the center, says: “The center has drifted to the left. Just like many people can no longer identify with this policy.”

Source:Blick