Christoph Blocher

Vocation

Swiss politician, industrialist, and former member of the Swiss Federal Council (2004 - 2007). Blocher grew up as the seventh of eleven children of a protestant pastor. His grand grand grandfather was a pietist preacher who immigrated from Germany and became a Swiss citizen in 1861. Blocher built his political career through campaigning for smaller government, for a free-market economy, against Switzerland's membership in the European Union and for more tightly controlled immigration. He represented the canton of Zürich in the Swiss National Council from 1980 until his election to the federal council in 2003 as a deputy of the Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei/Union démocratique du centre; SVP/UDC). In addition to the Zürich chapter of the Swiss People's Party, he led a mass organisation, the Action for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland (Aktion für eine unabhängige und neutrale Schweiz). Blocher is leader of the party's nationalist wing, which dominates the party's delegation to the National Council. He is married to Silvia, née Kaiser, born 21 December 1944. They have three daughters and a son. Link to Wikipedia biography