Right wing's Blocher says Swiss must reject EU colonialism

ZURICH (Reuters) - Leading right winger Christoph Blocher urged the Swiss government to take a hard line in talks with the European Union on limiting immigration, saying EU countries had more to lose if ties break down.

The 74-year-old billionaire is a guiding light in the Swiss People's Party (SVP), which under the country's system of direct democracy championed a successful referendum last year to limit the number of people coming to live and work in Switzerland.

The government aims to negotiate a broad deal with the EU on this and other bilateral issues that have been put at risk by the Swiss move to curb the free movement of people, a pillar of EU policy.

In an interview with the mass-circulation Blick paper on Friday, Blocher welcomed news that the government had decided to attempt a comprehensive deal with Brussels.

"But even the best negotiator cannot strike a favourable deal for Switzerland if the government is ready to accept a colonial treaty," Blocher said.

"The fact is that voters have ended freedom of movement."

To his fans, Blocher is a heroic defender of traditional Swiss values who has grown a niche party of farmers and small businessmen into Switzerland's most popular political party.

To his critics he is a divisive populist who has destabilised a once safe haven for companies and investors.

But fighting neutral Switzerland's drift towards the EU has become a mission for him, no matter if this jeopardises existing treaties that bind the Alpine republic to its neighbours.

"EU countries have the bigger interest in these treaties than does Switzerland," he told the paper, adding the SVP would not contest them but they were not vital for Switzerland.

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Alison Williams)