Switzerland: PEGIDA and far-right DPS party rally ahead of national elections

Members of the Swiss branch of PEGIDA and the new far-right Direct Democratic Party of Switzerland (DPS) held a joint rally in front of the Bundeshaus in Bern, Thursday, ahead of Sunday's national elections. During the rally, members of both groups held banners condemning "religious fanaticism" and "asylum tourism." During the rally the leader of the Swiss branch of PEGIDA, Mike Spielmann, explained the group's motives, stating that "(we want) to stop asylum tourism. That is for sure. We have a problem at the moment, also when it's played down. We can see it in Germany, we can see it in Austria. And that's the main issue." 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 the influx of migrants into the country in recent months. The second largest party in the country, the left-leaning Social Democrats, are expected to get 19.2 percent.