Switzerland has been a lab for toxic rightwing politics. We took that on | Flavia Kleiner
(The Guardian Switzerland)

The Swiss People´s party used referendums to deploy its anti-migrant, anti-EU rhetoric. That´s where our movement startedFour years ago, along with some friends, I started a grassroots liberal democratic movement in Switzerland called Operation Libero. Since then, we´ve won four referendums (which under Swiss electoral law are frequent) against the rightwing populists. How did we do that? We fought tooth and nail to defend the institutions that protect our freedom and the rule of law. We believed in our goals. And we decided to never sing the populist´s song - only our own song.For more than two decades Switzerland has been something of a laboratory for rightwing populism. Ahead of others in Europe, the rightwing Swiss People´s party deployed a relentless anti-immigrant, anti-EU rhetoric. It has successfully used referendums as a marketing tool for its political agenda and has become the largest political force in Switzerland.We were angry that no one was speaking up for the very institutions that have made our country so successful Related: Is Germany´s media to blame for the inexorable rise of the AfD? | Ben Knight Continue reading...