Archive – Democracy

Making the voices of Switzerland’s young expats heard

This content was published on Nov 15, 2015 The first task of the Youth Parliament of the Swiss Abroad (as they call themselves) was to elect a steering committee to coordinate their activities, represent their interests, and promote their issues. The committee now has 13 members. They live in various parts of the globe and were chosen from a list of 17 candidates.…

Changing a mountain resort one vote at a time

This content was published on Nov 12, 2015 Located at equal distance between the bigger and more luxurious resorts of Gstaad and Villars, Les Diablerets, in western Switzerland, has firmly identified itself over the years as a family resort. It has attracted generations of guests, most of whom return to their secondary homes during holidays and weekends, and who are often satisfied with…

Crime prevention campaign fails to win backing

This content was published on Nov 10, 2015 The Federal Chancellery said on Tuesday the deadline for two separate initiatives had run out for a committee led by a prominent activist to hand in at least 100,000 signatures needed to force a vote. Anita Chaaban, the woman behind the initiative conceded defeat last month, quoting financial as well as personal problems within the…

Opinion

Direct democracy makes war-ridden Afghanistan a better place

This content was published on Nov 7, 2015 In the absence of functional government institutions, people have to handle their problems through existed traditional mechanisms. One of the oldest Afghan traditional mechanisms is Jirga or assembly that has widely been used for resolving problems at village, district, provincial, regional or even national levels. The Jirga or assembly usually consists of elites, Maliks and,…

Swiss democracy at risk from populism, media and globalisation

This content was published on Nov 2, 2015 At stake are extended citizen participation in the management of public affairs and the autonomy of the local policy decision process, he says in an interview with swissinfo. The 51-year-old expert on Islam in Switzerland is a former member of the local parliament for the leftwing Social Democratic Party in the town of Romont in…

Gathering of would-be politicians encourages Swiss participation

This content was published on Oct 30, 2015 The youth parliament could be an antidote for Switzerland’s widespread disinterest in public service.

The battle for the future of electronic voting

This content was published on Oct 29, 2015 Swiss Post has become the latest player to enter the electronic voting market, partnering with canton Neuchâtel and Spanish firm Scytl. A move some say could leave the Swiss exposed to security concerns.

Swiss voters to have final say on immigration quotas

This content was published on Oct 27, 2015 Members of the group “Raus aus der Sackgasse!” (RASA) – German for “out of a dead end”, on Tuesday handed in 110,000 signatures at the Federal Chancellery in Bern. One hundred thousand signatures are required to bring an initiative to a nationwide vote. The signatures gathered will now be counted and verified, and if the…

Applying the ‘burka ban’ will not be easy

This content was published on Oct 27, 2015 The initiative was accepted by 65.4% of Ticino citizens in September 2013 and was the first time that a ban of this kind, which mainly concerns the wearing of the burka and niqab, had been decided by a popular vote. It has already inspired an initiative for a Switzerland-wide ban, launched at the end of…

Parliament shifts to the right

This content was published on Oct 19, 2015 The conservative right Swiss People’s Party made large gains in the House of Representatives, increasing its share of the vote to 29.4% from 26.6% – winning an additional 11 seats, according to final results published early on Monday. It is a record result for Switzerland’s leading party, which is known for its anti-immigration stance. “Voters…

Archive – Democracy

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Archive – Democracy

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Making the voices of Switzerland’s young expats heard

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Changing a mountain resort one vote at a time

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Crime prevention campaign fails to win backing

More

Direct democracy makes war-ridden Afghanistan a better place

More

Swiss democracy at risk from populism, media and globalisation

More

Gathering of would-be politicians encourages Swiss participation

More

The battle for the future of electronic voting

More

Swiss voters to have final say on immigration quotas

More

Applying the ‘burka ban’ will not be easy

More

Parliament shifts to the right

Popular Stories

Most Discussed