Switzerland: Pegida leader predicts gains for anti-refugee party as elections kick-off

As Swiss general elections got underway, national Pegida leader Mike Spielmann said he expected between 0.1 and three percent of the vote in every canton for the Direct Democratic Party Switzerland (DPS) as he cast his ballot in Frauenfeld, Sunday. Spielmann is also Vice-President of the Thurgau chapter of the DPS, and predicted large gains for his party in future local elections. Many Swiss residents had already cast their votes prior to Sunday, with Switzerland allowing voters to fill in their ballots at home, and send them in via post. As a result, there are no voting booths, but only ballot boxes in the polling stations. According to a recent poll Switzerland's main anti-immigration party, the Swiss People's Party (SVP), is expected to get 27.9 percent in the election, after achieving 26.6 percent in 2011. The party - which is the biggest in Switzerland - gained an electoral boost following reaction to the European refugee crisis. The second largest party in the country, the left-leaning Social Democrats, are expected to gain 19.2 percent of the vote.