13 December 2007

Playground Games

In a surprise move yesterday, Christoph Blocher was voted off of the Bundesrat Cabinet (Executive Council of the Swiss Parliament). The whole situation is explained much better in this post by Swiss Miss.

Essentially, Blocher is the bully on the playground and has grown increasingly controversial over the last several years. He has become the voice and face of the SVP (Swiss People's Party), currently the party in power.

However, many Swiss have become upset with the xenophobic hysteria this party has incited. They have also become upset with the unflattering, but alarmingly accurate, comparisons in the international press between Switzerland and 1930's era Germany.

Apparently, the other political parties in Switzerland have also become upset by SVP's tactics and by Blocher's increasing political power in a world where individual power is meant to be superseded by consensus building and collegial relationships. Even the position of Swiss president is something that members of the Bundesrat Cabinet "take turns" filling.

So when the parliament met to vote and voted Blocher off of the Cabinet in favor of a more moderate SVP member, it sent a clear message to the SVP. And everyone waited with baited breath to see the reaction.

Today Blocher and his SVP "Good Ole Boys" have packed up their toys and stormed away from the political playground, vowing not to return until everyone follows their rules. They have even disavowed the two members of the SVP who are sitting on the Cabinet.

I cannot wait to see what happens next...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Finally he's gone!

Global Librarian said...

I suspect Blocher is not gone yet. He'll be back. But in what role?

Unknown said...

Can we only hope there will be change?