Switzerland in Crisis?

Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, the man in the driving seat of the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP), won the support of only 115 of the 246 lawmakers in the country's parliament on Wednesday, Dec. 12. It was not enough for him to retain his seat in the governing, seven-member Federal Council.

The SVP itself has threatened to pull out of the Federal Council altogether if Blocher was not re-elected, thereby declaring itself the opposition.

The move could plunge the government into a crisis since the nation's four parties -- the SVP, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Free Democrats -- have ruled together since 1959. Since that time, the Federal Council has been composed according to the "magic formula" of near-equal representation by all four major parties, which has contributed to Switzerland's reputation of stability.

In a last-minute gesture, lawmakers and SVP rivals proposed a more moderate candidate -- Blocher's fellow party member, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. She won the vote, but could still refuse to take up the post, which would then require another round of voting.

Stability at risk?

The Swiss people themselves ultimately have the final word in politics through the nation's unique system of referendums. But, it's Switzerland's rock-solid political system that has often been named as the major factor on which the country's reputation as a financial haven is based.

According to economists, however, the vote ousting Blocher will not shake that position.

"It has no impact on the short- or medium-term economic outlook," Bank Sarasin economist Alessandro Bee told Reuters news agency. "Swiss politics is always much ado about nothing."

Controversial Blocher

During October's general elections, the SVP gained a record 29 percent of the vote -- the best result for any Swiss party since 1919.

The election campaign was fraught with factionalism and marred by a riot. A United Nations expert also denounced the SVP's tactics as racist.

Since the election in October, two of the co-governing parties, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, have voiced their opposition to Blocher gaining a seat in the new government.

With his aggressive stance and inflammatory politics, particularly with regard to his opinions about immigrants and asylum seekers, Blocher has made many enemies in Swiss politics, where consensus usually reigns.

Among voters, however, the SVP as led by Blocher has evolved in the last two decades from a small group with support from the farming community, into a larger right-wing party popular among middle-class voters concerned about crime and immigration.