Archive – Democracy

Immigration vote weighs on economic forecast

This content was published on Mar 28, 2014 According to KOF’s latest economic forecast, Swiss gross domestic product will expand by 2% this year and 2.1% in 2015 with a recovery of the global economy boosting exports. This represents a slight reduction of 0.2% on previous forecasts made in December. The institute said the approval by 50.3% of voters of a popular initiative…

Swiss-Swedish plane deal fires up vote campaign

This content was published on Mar 28, 2014 A memorandum of understanding to produce and deliver about 20 PC-21 trainer planes has been signed, according to statements published in Stans and Linköping on Friday. It added that Pilatus and Saab aimed to create about 100 new jobs in the aerospace sector for the production of PC-21, the Gripen and other aircraft types made…

Financial officers worried by immigration vote

This content was published on Mar 27, 2014 Of the 111 companies surveyed by consultants Deloitte, 88% said they expected negative consequences to befall Switzerland as a result of the February 9 vote. Only 6% expected positive outcomes. In addition, 69% of CFOs anticipated negative fallout for their own businesses, while 29% didn’t expect anything to change after the decision to re-establish quotas…

Community doctors hope for a shot in the arm

This content was published on Mar 27, 2014 General practitioners have lobbied hard to get the government and parliament to draw up a legal reform, as well as a series of measures to boost the role of community doctors, the cornerstone of primary healthcare. The issue has been bubbling for a number of years. From 2006 GPs began calling for new measures to…

Swiss voters may impose a minimum wage on industry

This content was published on Mar 25, 2014 Whether it is fat-cat salaries or the plight of the working poor, rates of pay have been a recurrent focus in recent political debate in Switzerland. The upcoming vote on May 18 is the third time in just over a year that Swiss voters are being called upon to decide how much – or how…

Swiss to vote on paedophile work ban

This content was published on Mar 21, 2014 The initiative has mainly been backed by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party and the centrist Christian Democrats. In the wake of heated debates in parliament last year, opposition was quiet as no party wished to be seen to be championing the cause of paedophiles. However in mid-March Andrea Caroni of the Liberals decided to step into the breach and put…

Quotas: good for trade, good for migrants?

This content was published on Mar 21, 2014 Dani Rodrik, professor of social science at the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton, is a powerful critic of what he calls a “hyper-globalization agenda” favoured by the corporate community and academic economists. In his book, ‘The Globalization Paradox’, Rodrik argues provocatively that it makes sense to impose restrictions on migrants seeking work, but advocates…

Fighter jets await green light from voters

This content was published on Mar 13, 2014 On May 18 voters have the final say on defence ministry plans to spend CHF3.1 billion ($3.5 billion) over the next decade to acquire JAS-39 lightweight fighter aircraft from aerospace manufacturer Saab. The jets, still in development, would replace the ageing fleet of F-5 Tiger jets and help protect the Swiss airspace up to the…

Cabinet offers stopgap for EU research funding

This content was published on Mar 7, 2014 Education Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the aim was to keep the doors open for scientists and projects to continue their research before Switzerland can eventually rejoin EU the Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ programmes. Schneider-Ammann stressed the importance of an interim solution and a participation in the European programme not only for financial reasons, but also…

Erasmus funding was an issue before vote

This content was published on Mar 6, 2014 Reports have surfaced that Brussels had demanded more funds for the Erasmus+ programme before the vote took place. This was not communicated to the public, nor to parliament, although Education Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann did tell his cabinet colleagues about it two weeks before the ballot. The EU’s decision to exclude Switzerland from the EU Framework…

Archive – Democracy

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Archive – Democracy

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Immigration vote weighs on economic forecast

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Swiss-Swedish plane deal fires up vote campaign

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Financial officers worried by immigration vote

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Community doctors hope for a shot in the arm

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Swiss voters may impose a minimum wage on industry

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Swiss to vote on paedophile work ban

More

Quotas: good for trade, good for migrants?

More

Fighter jets await green light from voters

More

Cabinet offers stopgap for EU research funding

More

Erasmus funding was an issue before vote

Popular Stories

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