Despite the 2011 contractor poster, when SVP used messages against Kosovars, part of the Balkan-rooted Swiss supporters the right-wing party. Migration, security, and maintaining the order are cited as the main reasons for this attitude.
About 40 percent of Balkan-born Swiss people intend to vote for the Swiss People’s Party ( SVP, according to SR’s 2027 election barometer. Among them are Kosovo-born citizens who say their political stance primarily links them to migration, security and opportunities that Switzerland offers.
Support for SVP comes despite party history with campaigns against foreigners. In 2011, she used a contracter poster with messages against Kosovars, which makes this result particularly impressive, writes 20 minutes.
Kosovars: Migration and Focus Security
Ardeshir Brahaj, of origin from Kosovo, says migration and security have been the crucial factors in his political choice. He does not believe people of migration background should maintain a certain political orientation and see no contradiction between his Kosovo roots and his connection with Switzerland.
I appreciate the possibilities and prospects this country offers, he says.
R. Tanassi, 22, of Bosnian background, supports SVP. He says he intends to protect the country from the negative consequences of illegal migration and refugees committing crimes. According to him, support for the party is not linked to exclusion, but to order, security and respect, Telegraphy broadcast.
Meanwhile, Milka G., whose family comes from Montenegro, says support for SVP does not stem from hatred. She argues that people who have experienced a loss of stability in their countries know the importance of social cohesion and do not want their new homeland to face the same problems.
Critical for 2011 Poster
Marco Marosevic, 44, remembers the SVP poster against Kosovars and criticises him, saying such a campaign goes too far. According to him, politics is leaving the content discussion and is addressing polarisation.
However, he says he has voted in line with the SVP programme, stressing that he supports party arguments only when he considers them reasonable.
On the other hand, Tanassi says he was too young to remember the post office of 2011.
Not all Balkan-rooted Swiss support SVP
Tyana Coller disagrees with many of the party’s stances, but says he recognises people of Balkan backgrounds who support him.
She feels that some of the explanation relates to the way some of them have been raised, with emphasis on their origin, culture, and people. According to Cerer, this could create proximity to a party seeking to protect national identity and limit immigration.
The survey and testimony of respondents show that the attitudes of citizens of Balkan descent are not the same. For some, migration and security are key issues, while others oppose SVP’s views, regardless of their background.
SVP History With Poster Against Kosovars
In August 2011, the Swiss People’s Party ( SVP published an ad with the Controvers slogan “Kosovos are slit the throats of the Swiss, under the campaign against mass immigration. The commercial, which also referred to a concrete case of violence in Interlaken, sparked reactions and ended up in court. On April 13th 2017, the Swiss Federal Court confirmed the sentences against former SVP Secretary General Martin Baltisser, and his deputy, Sylvia Bär, for racial discrimination. According to the tribunal, the advertising violated human dignity and created a climate of hostility towards the Kosovo community as a whole. The case was reported by Swissinfo, while the decision was reflected in SRF and documented on Official announcement of the Swiss Federal Court./Telegraphy/