Controversial contacts with right-wing extremists Criticism of JSVP is "right-wing extremism theater" for SVP President

SVP President Marcel Dettling has commented on the accusations against members of the Young SVP as "right-wing extremism theater". It was the first statement from the head of the parent party on the allegations of right-wing extremism that emerged in the spring.

There was no criminal offense, said Dettling in an interview with CH Media published on Wednesday.

The media had been trying for years to accuse the SVP of right-wing extremism. However, it is a "no-go to place a democratic, liberal and civic party like the SVP in the extreme right-wing corner", said the party president. Right-wing bourgeois should not be confused with right-wing extremist.

Independent party

Until now, the parent party had been reluctant to comment. The young party is an independent party and therefore the SVP will not interfere, said Sandra Sollberger, member of the SVP party leadership committee, to Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen in April.

The parent party did not have to intervene because of an alleged meeting between the young party's strategy chief Sarah Regez and Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner. This is what SVP Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher told the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung".

In April, controversy arose within the Young SVP (JSVP) over Regez. According to "SonntagsBlick" on March 31, she is said to have taken part in a secret meeting with Sellner, which was also attended by members of the far-right group "Junge Tat".

Speakers not known

Regez claims not to have known the speakers at the event. The name Sellner was not familiar to her, she told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper at the beginning of April.

Six young parties then called on the JSVP to distance itself from right-wing extremism. The Young Green Liberals announced in June that they were ending their cooperation with the JSVP.

SDA