Swiss go to polls, with right-wing populists and Socialists set for rebound

Swiss voters are casting final ballots in a general election (Ennio Leanza/Keystone/AP)

Swiss voters are casting final ballots in a general election, with polls pointing to a rebound for right-wing populist and Socialist parties, while Greens are expected to lose ground compared with the last such election four years ago.

The election of the 200-seat lower house, known as the National Council, and the 46-seat Council of States, the upper house, will set the tone for Swiss policy as the rich Alpine country adapts its self-image as a “neutral” country outside the European Union – but is nearly surrounded by it – and grapples with issues like climate change, rising healthcare costs and migration.