Concern and disappointment among US Democrats in Switzerland
Published: Wednesday, Nov 6th 2024, 13:00
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The election defeat of their candidate Kamala Harris has led to "immense disappointment, sadness and anxiety" among US Democrats in Switzerland. They expressed their fears for the future of their country. They fear that Trump could develop into an autocrat.
There is a great risk that democracy will be damaged, Peter Butterfield, treasurer of Democrats Abroad Switzerland (DA), told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday. He had organized the Democrats' election evening in Geneva.
Donald Trump's thirst for revenge after his never-recognized election defeat in 2020 raises fears of the worst in a divided country and a divided population. The USA is facing an irrational and dangerous presidency, Butterflield feared.
For him, the Republicans succeeded in instrumentalizing inflation and fear of immigration. Harris had run a very good campaign. However, there is no doubt that she did not focus enough on these two issues and perhaps concentrated too exclusively on the middle class.
The Democrats have lost touch with the working population, he analyzed. This occurred during Bill Clinton's presidency with its many international agreements and free trade treaties. The working population had not forgotten the closure of numerous factories and the outsourcing of jobs. The Democrats had lost the trust of employees who lived far away from "big business".
In the fight against the inflation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Joe Biden has taken the right measures. Unfortunately, however, their effects have not yet been felt by the population.
©Keystone/SDA
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