A young president and the cost of Swiss meat revealed
Here is a selection of stories we're looking ahead to in the week of January 1, 2018.
Monday
Is direct democracy hindering Switzerland’s progress? Why hasn’t any money from Arab Spring dictators made its way back to the people of the countries affected? Can the Swiss-EU deadlock be resolved in 2018? These are just some of the questions we put to Alain Berset, home affairs minister and Swiss president for 2018.
Tuesday
The organised group of rabbit-breeders is just one of tens of thousands of clubs and associations in Switzerland. We hear from a person who believes joining a club is an important lesson in democracy.
Wednesday
You can lose the battle but still win the war – or at least a partial victory. That’s the conclusion of political scientist Lukas Leuzinger, who looks at the long-term impact of initiatives that were defeated at the ballot box.
Thursday
Forty-one hours and ten minutes. We’ve done the maths to reveal how much the average Swiss works a week. That’s low compared with most developed countries. But unions want to lower the number of hours even further while the business lobby would like to see an increase. Are we seeing battle lines being drawn again exactly 100 years after a general strike saw tens of thousands down their tools?
Friday
Labour relations will be just one of the issues occupying the Swiss in 2018. But if they maintain their salary levels, they’ll still be able to sink their teeth into a choice cut of meat – albeit not too often. What’s the beef and why is it so expensive in Switzerland?
What you may have missed last week:
More
What’s being done to bring down high drug costs?
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