More Are ten days of paternity leave too much or not enough? Are ten days of paternity leave too much or not enough? This content was published on Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020 Why the statutory ten-day paternity leave in Switzerland leave has been challenged to a nationwide vote.
More Media slam ‘Federal Office of Cock-ups’ for Covid data mix-up This content was published on Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020 Swiss newspapers have not minced their words after the health office got its numbers seriously wrong about the source of coronavirus infections.
More Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland This content was published on Aug 3, 2020 Aug 3, 2020 After imposing strict restrictions, Switzerland has eased measures. But since mid-June there has been a rise in new cases.
More How will the pandemic influence Switzerland’s upcoming votes? This content was published on Aug 3, 2020 Aug 3, 2020 The pandemic has left its mark on almost all areas of life in Switzerland. How will it weigh on national votes in September?
More What’s the controversy around planned tax breaks for childcare? This content was published on Aug 3, 2020 Aug 3, 2020 Parliament has agreed on measures to alleviate the tax burden on parents. Opponents argue it gives well-off families an unfair advantage.
More A stroll through Swiss history at Geneva’s Cemetery of Kings This content was published on Aug 2, 2020 Aug 2, 2020 The Cimetière des Rois is the oldest existing cemetery in Geneva. Its graves hold many of the figures who shaped modern Switzerland.
How far is Switzerland in decriminalising drugs? Switzerland stands out for its innovative approach to the problem of drug addiction.
Join the discussion Swiss abroad Dale Bechtel If you’ve been unable to travel to Switzerland recently, what do you miss most? Travel restrictions introduced during the pandemic have severely limited the number of visitors able to come to Switzerland from abroad.
More The steep, wild valley of hanging meadows This content was published on Jul 31, 2020 Jul 31, 2020 Bavona Valley, one of the steepest and remotest valleys in the Swiss Alps, has been chosen as the theme for the 2020 “Chocolate Dollar".
Climber finds Jungfrau 'Corona Pass' deal infectious This content was published on Jul 31, 2020 Jul 31, 2020 I've just climbed the Mönch with two close friends. As we glance down, we see what looks like an unbroken line of ants stretched along the glacier.
More Swiss online democracy platform democratises itself This content was published on Jul 30, 2020 Jul 30, 2020 WeCollect, the online platform for citizen initiatives, is to widen its scope. A success for projects from across the political spectrum?
More How CO₂ from Swiss rubbish could end up beneath the North Sea This content was published on Jul 29, 2020 Jul 29, 2020 Waste incineration plants in Switzerland plan to capture the carbon dioxide coming out of their chimneys and store it at the bottom of the ocean.
Why melting glaciers affect us all Alpine glaciers could disappear by the end of the century. The consequences will be felt not only in Switzerland’s mountains but throughout Europe.
More Hyperloop projects inch closer to reality This content was published on Jul 28, 2020 Jul 28, 2020 New investments, regulations and entrepreneurs, including a Swiss start-up, could help make the futuristic transport system a reality.
More Did terrorists once plot to blow up the Swiss government? This content was published on Jan 28, 2019 Jan 28, 2019 Was it a real anarchist conspiracy or a fabrication by a German hairdresser? We look at a 19th century plot to blow up the federal government in Bern.
More The bombers of Zurich: how two Russians shaped Swiss history This content was published on Feb 25, 2019 Feb 25, 2019 In 1889, a Russian student in Zurich accidentally blew himself up. In the aftermath of the incident, a crackdown on undesirables in Switzerland.
More ‘Empress stabbed in the heart’ This content was published on Mar 25, 2019 Mar 25, 2019 In 1898 the Empress Elisabeth of Austria was killed in Geneva by an Italian anarchist - a dramatic case that aroused strong feelings around the world.
More When bombs shook Geneva This content was published on Apr 29, 2019 Apr 29, 2019 In the early 1900s, Geneva was the site of two explosions. Both of them were the work of anarchists amid turbulent times for Switzerland.
More Murder at the Grand Hotel: a deadly mix-up This content was published on Aug 12, 2019 Aug 12, 2019 In 1906, a young Russian woman shoots a French businessman in a hotel in the Swiss mountain village of Interlaken.
More How a Montreux bank heist led to calls for the death penalty This content was published on Sep 16, 2019 Sep 16, 2019 In the early 1900s Switzerland was rocked by a wave of terror incidents by foreign anarchists living in the Alpine country.
More When Zurich smelled the smoke of the ‘red terror’ This content was published on Nov 1, 2019 Nov 1, 2019 In 1907 an attack on the police barracks in Zurich and a bomb blast that injured children sparked national outrage. Were the Russians behind it?
More Swiss mercenaries helped spread colonialism in faraway lands This content was published on Mar 20, 2020 Mar 20, 2020 In the 19th century, young Swiss men from modest backgrounds helped do some of the dirty work of foreign colonial forces in Asia and Africa.
More The Swiss textile industry’s unsavoury past This content was published on Sep 19, 2019 Sep 19, 2019 Slave trade, colonial exploitation and religious conversion all led to the establishment of Switzerland’s textile industry and boosted its wealth.
More How Swiss direct democracy deals with xenophobia This content was published on Jun 4, 2020 Jun 4, 2020 “Italians go back to Italy” was the slogan used in an initiative 50 years ago. Why does the fear of non-Swiss keep coming back?
More Cartoons and speech bubbles tell Switzerland’s story Cartoons and speech bubbles tell Switzerland’s story This content was published on Aug 1, 2020 Aug 1, 2020 Comic strips telling historical stories are on the rise in Switzerland.
More Nuns: powerful women of the Middle Ages This content was published on Jul 21, 2020 Jul 21, 2020 An exhibition now on at the Swiss National Museum looks at how ecclesiastical women lived in the Middle Ages, and the opportunities open to them.
Dale Bechtel How Swiss staycationers are scouting out your next Alpine getaway This content was published on Jul 31, 2020 Jul 31, 2020 If you’re reading this and don’t reside in Europe, chances are you’re not going to make it to Switzerland this year. Now for the good news.
How easy is it for foreign students to study in Swiss universities? Swiss universities are increasingly popular with foreign students, but it's hard for many of them to stay.
More Exiled Iraqi journalist: 'I am almost a member of Swiss society' This content was published on Jul 17, 2020 Jul 17, 2020 An Iraqi journalist who fled to Switzerland speaks about her former life in Baghdad and why her current life is sometimes isolating.
Covid-19 vaccine: when, and for whom? This content was published on Jul 26, 2020 Jul 26, 2020 It’s the question we all want an answer to: when will there be a vaccine against Covid-19? And how is fair access being negotiated?
A new Swiss generation, captured on an old camera This content was published on Jul 13, 2020 Jul 13, 2020 Swiss journalist and photographer Jean-Claude Péclet uses his trusty 1938 Rolleiflex black and white camera to highlight passionate young people.
More What remains of Swiss democracy after Covid-19 measures? This content was published on May 22, 2020 May 22, 2020 Parliament was cancelled. A referendum was postponed. The government ruled alone by emergency decree. Where does that leave direct democracy?
More Should we draw lots for fairer elections? This content was published on Jun 26, 2019 Jun 26, 2019 Two researchers from the University of Lausanne have been studying the notion of chance in politics.
More How to motivate young adults to participate in politics This content was published on Aug 10, 2018 Aug 10, 2018 Voter turnout among young adults is well below the population average. We discover the true political interests of young people.
More What is federalism? This content was published on Sep 7, 2018 Sep 7, 2018 In Switzerland, state power is spread over three levels: the federal government, the 26 cantons and the 2,222 municipalities.
More Making your voice heard in a democracy This content was published on Sep 8, 2017 Sep 8, 2017 How do people find their political fit and motivation, particularly migrants?
More Politics: the tough task of educating the Swiss This content was published on Feb 22, 2019 Feb 22, 2019 Is it a surprise that it can be a challenge to promote political education even in a country with a highly developed system of direct democracy?
More How to serve up an initiative that is hard to digest This content was published on May 25, 2018 May 25, 2018 Some Swiss votes can be very technical and the need for independent viewpoints is vital. But experts can be incomprehensible and not very neutral.
More Citizens’ Juries – providing a neutral recommendation on voting issues This content was published on Dec 21, 2018 Dec 21, 2018 Switzerland plans to test the use of a citizens’ jury whereby a few randomly selected citizens provide a balanced assessment of voting issues.
More How to implement successful people's initiatives This content was published on Oct 13, 2017 Oct 13, 2017 After the people vote in favour of an initiative, parliament gets to work. How do they make new decisions compatible with existing laws?
More When you cast your vote far from home This content was published on Aug 18, 2017 Aug 18, 2017 Why do the Swiss abroad vote differently from the Swiss at home? An expert takes a closer look at the political profile of the Swiss diaspora.
