Although the SVP is the third largest faction in the municipal council, it lost six of its seats in the last elections. Has the SVP lost the sense for the interests of the people of Zurich?

Roger Bartholdi: Analyzes of the municipal and cantonal elections show that the loss is wired because some of our voters did not participate. The challenge now is to get these people back to the ballot box. Resignation and frustration towards left-green politics could often be heard in conversations. However, we also see the abstinence from voting as a self-critical and a challenge. We need to show better what we have achieved and what we promised and delivered before the elections.

What are the goals for these elections and how does the SVP intend to convince the voters?

We want to increase seats on the council. We have to mobilize, that will be the be-all and end-all. We have the right topics and solutions. On many issues, the Council Left only implements its ideological way of thinking, but not for the benefit of the entire population. We must show this to the electorate.

What worries you most about the current development in Zurich?

It is this extremism of the council left. They outdo each other with extreme demands, but call for hardly any concrete measures. The population is growing and requires more space. Demanding more parks, more green spaces, more cycle paths and so on from the city council is very populist. Of course, they never say how this “jack of all trades” is supposed to work, because they don’t know either. The city council and the administration then reap criticism because they don’t know it either. If the red-green majority is so dissatisfied with their own city councils, then they should no longer vote for them.

The SVP is also known as the austerity party. For example, she fought against the city budget for 2022 (minus CHF 192 million). But if a city can afford to spend so much, then it’s Zurich, isn’t it?

Almost 200 million minus, that is around 500 francs per inhabitant, which is too much spent in one year. The city of Zurich still has reserves, but further deficits are planned and expenditure growth is to be increased even further. We are not fundamentally opposed to spending money, but spending must be integrated in a meaningful way. Since red-green has the majority in the city council and in the municipal council, expenditure has risen disproportionately to population growth. You keep creating new administrative offices, advice centers or commissioners. For us, this is incomprehensible at all.

In your opinion, was the greatest success of the SVP in the municipal council in the past four years?

The greatest success of all is that we have stayed true to our line and implemented the promise made by the electorate. That is also attested to by our opponents. Of course, as an opposition party, we don’t have an easy position in the council, but we still manage to push through every now and then. A more important war that only the most necessary things were changed when the municipal code was revised, instead of discussing further wishes. We too would have had ideas, but then we would have opened Pandora’s box. We said to the majority: you have the right to submit your motions, but if you do it now, we will resist it. The risk of failure was too great for Red-Green and we were able to prevent extreme demands for once.

What defeat bothers you to this day?

The most recent biggest defeat was certainly dying in the municipal structure plans. Losing a single template isn’t always such a bad thing, but the roadmap is where you vote on the future. The non-partisan No campaign was unfortunate, one should have pointed out the disadvantages better. The pro-committee had conveyed a simple and clear message. This is the style in which we should have waged the counter-campaign.

What issues are pending in the next legislature?

The finances are worrying and need to be managed more sparingly. Traffic will be a big challenge. To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, the majority of the council would prefer to go in the direction of zero speed. Today’s modern vehicles are quickly emission-free and low-noise. Mobility in the city must continue to work in the future, because the population is growing and mobility is not decreasing. Immigration must be more controlled. We’re not against Zurich growing – the problem is speed. The city, the trade and the economy have to function. And the city must remain livable.

Why should the people of Zurich vote for SVP on February 13th?

Because we are committed to the city and its citizens and ensure their well-being. We also want to get the finances back on track. Fees and charges should be reduced. Low earners would benefit from this. Our application for a reduction in the waste bag fees was rejected despite high reserves. The price spiral must be ended, tax increases would be poison for trade and the economy. We are committed to helping small and medium-sized businesses so that there is still money left over to live on.