The right-wing Swiss People's Party withdrew from Switzerland's coalition government today after the ousting from cabinet of leading figure Christoph Blocher.
Mr Blocher's dismissal from the seven-member executive was confirmed today when Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, a more moderate People's Party rival, accepted parliament's nomination for her to take Mr Blocher's place as justice minister.
Caspar Baader, the head of the People's Party's parliamentary faction told parliament that the party would go into opposition and would no longer recognise Ms Widmer-Schlumpf or fellow People's Party minister Samuel Schmid.
The move ends half a century of consensus government in Switzerland that had seen cabinet ministers selected from among all four of the country's leading parties.