Voters in Appenzell Inner Rhodes canton on Sunday got to have their say in the annual “Landsgemeinde” or open-air assembly, the oldest form of direct democracy in Switzerland.
Appenzell Inner Rhodes is one of only two remaining Swiss cantons – along with Glarus – that still holds a “Landsgemeinde”, a 600-year-old tradition.
As always on the last Sunday in April, some 3,000 people gathered for the traditional parade and assembly. Guests of honour this year included Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.
The assembly decisions included election of a conservative right Swiss People’s Party member to the cantonal government for the first time, money for a new hospital, and a ban on fracking.
And for the first time, sign language interpreters were hired so the discussions and votes could be followed by about a dozen deaf participants, according to the Swiss Federation for the Deaf.
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Appenzell: an exception among exceptions
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swissinfo.ch : How do you explain to foreigners the two half cantons of Appenzell? Arnold Koller: In a nutshell, Appenzell, especially Appenzell Inner Rhoden, my home region, is an exception among exceptions – Switzerland is already considered an exceptional case in Europe. That’s particularly because we are by far the smallest canton by population. Inner…
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On December 17 it will be exactly 500 years since the canton of Appenzell joined the Swiss Confederation, and the anniversary has been celebrated throughout the year, culminating in a day-long event attended by this year’s Swiss president, Ueli Maurer. “With your pride in your homeland and your traditions, you are a wonderful example of…
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The world tends to misinterprets the promises and perils of Switzerland’s direct democracy – but this may soon change, says journalist Bruno Kaufmann.
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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.