Blocher under fire on home-ground

The populist right-wing politician, Christoph Blocher, has come under fire from within his own party. Lisbeth Fehr, a member of the House of Representatives for Blocher's home territory of Zurich, has launched an all-out attack on his political stance.

The populist right-wing politician, Christoph Blocher, has come under fire from within his own party. Lisbeth Fehr, a member of the House of Representatives for Blocher’s home territory of Zurich, has launched an all-out attack on his political stance.

Fehr said the party now showed totalitarian tendencies and had distanced itself from its original principles. She is the first elected member of the Zurich branch of her party to openly criticise Blocher. In an interview published in the Winterthur daily newspaper, “Landbote,” Fehr said that the figure most identified with the People’s Party was Blocher.

She accused Blocher, who is president of the Zurich branch, of surrounding himself with yes-men. She said while the success of the People’s Party in the October general elections has given Blocher wings, it does not reflect the Zurich branch, but rather a hardline tendency.

She also complained that any differing viewpoints were marginalised at the Zurich branch, and deplored the fact that democracy no longer appeared to be one of its main values.

Fehr’s comments echo sentiments expressed by the People’s Party branch in Berne, who have criticised some of Blocher’s proposals, notably the privatisation of social security and raising the age of retirement.

swissinfo and agencies