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On Sunday, the most controversial but at the same time most influential Swiss politician in recent decades will celebrate his 80th birthday. Christoph Blocher speaks of a new era that is dawning in his party. The boys should now take over.
Christoph Blocher welcomes the SRF team to his magnificent villa in Herrliberg. Anker and Hodler’s most valuable paintings hang in your living room. Overlooking Lake Zurich and the Alpine range from Säntis to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, he reflects on the future of his party and his role in the years to come: “I am 80 years old now and I feel my strength is weakening.” Politically, now he wants to cut back, says Blocher. “You also have to be humble and say: sometimes it stops.”
Chiesa: Almost no contact with Blocher
One day before Blocher, Marco Chiesa’s birthday is celebrated. The new SVP president will turn 46 on Saturday. In terms of age, it could be Blocher’s son. He had hardly any contact with Blocher. The last time he spoke to Blocher was in November 2019, never about his election as SVP president. “I know that sounds incredible to many,” says Chiesa. However, he often talks to Magdalena Martullo, Blocher’s daughter.
Many political observers see Martullo as a governor of Blocher. Her father only vaguely comments on the role of his daughter. “She has a very strong opinion of herself, she won’t let me tell her anything.”
He hardly gets involved in day-to-day business, says Blocher. The boys would have to take over now. “This is a new era that is coming.” He did so at the company. He had completely withdrawn and said, “Now go, done.”
Blocher’s mission
Blocher’s biggest success was 28 years ago. No to the European Economic Area. One of his biggest opponents at the time was Franz Steinegger, former president of the FDP. Steinegger is 77 years old today.
Blocher had a discussion in the EU about joining the EEA, Steinegger says, to this day. “That is his mission, he is the pastor’s son.” There is nothing religious about their mission, Blocher responds. An order had been given, entirely by the director: to protect Switzerland from the EU.
Deselection of the Federal Council
Blocher’s biggest defeat: being expelled from the Federal Council in 2007. For Franz Steinegger it is a turning point in Blocher’s career. “You just saw that you can win against Blocher.” The other parts were no longer frozen from this point on when Blocher again performed a surprising maneuver. “You don’t have that much respect anymore,” Steinegger says. For Blocher, too, the election was a severe blow. “They just wanted to show me.” The parties were not afraid of him, but of a new increase in the SVP vote.
Christoph Blocher – the career of the politician
The EU problem no longer works
The SVP lost important seats in the last elections. And the question is whether the fight against the EU remains promising. Two weeks ago the clear no to the initiative of limitation of the SVP. It could be that people are no longer so interested in the EU, says Blocher self-critical. “At the moment, we are definitely not taking any more initiatives.”
On his 80th birthday, Christoph Blocher suggests some calmer ones Tones activated. How things should proceed with the senior vice president, that should be decided by others. He no longer wants to set the pace so hard.
Tonight in «10vor10»
