Conclusion: The Political Consequences of the Polarization of Swiss Politics

Abstract

AbstractIn this conclusion, I attempt to provide a synthesis of the findings of this superb set of papers and put them into a broader perspective. For this purpose, I also rely on some other more recent assessments of Swiss politics – in particular on Sciarini, Fischer and Traber's (2015) replication of my own study of Swiss politics in the 1970s, which covers the most important political decision‐making processes of 2000–2006, and on a recent special issue of the Swiss Political Science Review (SPSR 2014) that is dedicated to the 2011 Swiss Elections. I proceed in four steps: first, I discuss the guiding theme of this collection of papers – the increasing party competition and the related polarization of Swiss politics, as well as the drivers of this development. Then, I turn to the consequences of this development for Swiss politics and Swiss policies. I conclude with a summary discussion, where I draw attention to the forgotten elephant in the room – the Great Recession and the Euro‐crisis.