The Swiss People’s party (SVP) has run a predictably alarmist campaign to mobilise support ahead of Sunday’s federal elections. But this time, the ultranationalists have had to scrape the barrel to find enough populist themes to bring out the vote.

Once every four years, Switzerland’s political system briefly attracts the world’s attention as the SVP’s provocative campaigning prompts accusations of racism and distortion, amid fears that one of Europe’s most stable democracies may be lurching towards the far right.