Planning permission by popular consent

Have you ever come across a collection of metal pylons on a patch of grass next to a house and wondered what they were for? In this episode Diccon Bewes explains how democracy works when the Swiss build new homes. (Diccon Bewes for swissinfo.ch)

This content was published on October 14, 2017 - 11:00

1 minute

Diccon Bewes

Climate adaptation

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Cooks at work in the kitchen, pictured during a look behind the scenes at Hotel Seedamm Plaza in Pfaeffikon, canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, on March 31, 2014. (KEYSTONE/Christian Beutler)

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The additional costs that Switzerland will incur when purchasing the US F-35 fighter jet continue to be a concern.

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Are you a Swiss citizen living in New Zealand, Israel, Singapore, or Brunei? Ask your ambassador a question here!

What have you always wanted to ask your ambassador? As a Swiss Abroad, what issues are most important to you on a daily basis?

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Jul 31, 2025

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The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?

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You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

Meet the little orange men of Switzerland

This content was published on Aug 12, 2017 Join Diccon Bewes on the streets of Bern and marvel at the oddities of the Swiss traffic light system.

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This content was published on Nov 11, 2017 The relatively high prices of ordinary medications in Switzerland might make you think twice before popping a pill.

Diccon Bewes standing in front of snow covered mountain range

But which one’s the tallest?

This content was published on Sep 9, 2017 What would Switzerland be without its stunning mountains? In this episode Diccon Bewes gives a brief introduction to the Swiss Alps.

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This content was published on Jul 15, 2017 From pack sizes to colours, and an unusual flavouring to go with them, there's a lot of Swissness inside every shell.

Planning permission by popular consent

Have you ever come across a collection of metal pylons on a patch of grass next to a house and wondered what they were for? In this episode Diccon Bewes explains how democracy works when the Swiss build new homes. (Diccon Bewes for swissinfo.ch)

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