Tea Partier Michele Bachmann becomes a citizen of Switzerland, a country where socialists govern

By Callum Borchers, Globe Correspondent

Former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has become a citizen of Switzerland, a European country with a government philosophy almost nothing like her own.

In an interview Tuesday with the Swiss television station Schweizer Fernsehen, Bachmann said her husband, Marcus Bachmann, was born to Swiss immigrants and that her family visits Switzerland often. Marcus Bachmann was granted Swiss citizenship on March 19, and Michele Bachmann, as his spouse, automatically gained the same, according to the station.

The interviewer informed Bachmann, a Minnesota representative and favorite of the Tea Party movement, that she is now eligible to seek public office in Switzerland.

“Really?” Bachmann said, drawing laughter from members of the Swiss parliament who stood behind her. “Well, as you can see, there’s a lot of competition behind me that I would have to run against, and it’d be very stiff because they’re very good.”

Bachmann’s polite appraisal of the parliamentarians contrasted with strong statements she made throughout the presidential campaign, when she criticized President Obama for policies she labeled socialist. The Social Democratic Party “has governed Switzerland as part of a grand coalition since 1959,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Unlike Bachmann, the party “supports an extensive government role in the economy,” Britannica says.

Bachmann uttered nothing but pleasantries during her television interview, saying “it’s tough to find a place not to like in Switzerland.”

“Our family loves it when we come because everyone brings home a big bag of chocolate, and everyone’s very happy,” she added.