There are few countries in Western Europe where the radical populist right has been more successful in recent years than in Switzerland. Switzerland poses a fascinating puzzle to anyone interested in contemporary politics. It has a confederate system, which accords a great deal of autonomy and independence to its constituent units, the cantons. Its consociational… Continue reading “The Swiss People’s Party Versus COVID-19”
The Pareto optimum is one of the best-known concepts in economics. It is named after Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian social scientist considered one of the founders of microeconomics. What is perhaps less know is that Pareto taught at the University of Lausanne (canton of Vaud), one of Switzerland’s oldest universities. In 1904, Pareto had an… Continue reading “Benito Mussolini, Dr. hc: Switzerland, the Fascist Temptation and the Populist Right”
Introduction A couple of weeks ago, Swiss art aficionados started to flock to Martigny in the canton of Valais. Martigny is a relatively small town. But it boasts an exquisite art museum, which over the years has hosted a number of remarkable exhibitions. This time, it is particularly special. For the first time, art lovers… Continue reading “Icons of the Radical Right: Christoph Blocher and the SVP”
In the burgeoning literature on the populist right, smouldering resentment has so far not been sufficiently appreciated and expressed. The SVP (Swiss People’s Party) is Switzerland’s largest political party. This was not always the case. Until the 1990s, the SVP garnered around 10 percent of the popular vote. As the traditional representative of Switzerland’s farming… Continue reading “Everything That is Wrong is the Fault of ’68: Regaining Cultural Hegemony by Trashing the Left”