Archive – Democracy

Measles is still a sore spot for the Swiss

This content was published on Apr 24, 2010 As the country takes part in European Immunisation Week, Virginie Masserey, head of the vaccination section at the Federal Health Office, tells swissinfo.ch there are still many misconceptions about the measles jab. A World Health Organization (WHO) initiative that starts on Saturday is highlighting the importance of immunisation against measles, which is highly infectious. Switzerland…

Booming civilian service raises questions

This content was published on Jan 27, 2010 Entry requirements to the civilian alternative to military service were relaxed last April. Conscientious objectors are no longer required to undergo written and oral assessments by a committee to explain their motives. Even though the civilian alternative lasts one and a half times longer than military service, the number of applications leapt from around 1,700…

Rethinking the way we drive now

This content was published on Jan 6, 2010 Readers of one of Switzerland’s major Sunday newspapers had a shock last weekend: petrol could go up by seven centimes a litre, the headline warned. The German-language SonntagsZeitung featured an interview with Rudolf Dieterle, head of the Federal Roads Office, which set out the stark choices likely to face the Swiss motorist in the new…

Defending popular rights – by limiting them?

This content was published on Dec 1, 2009 Much of the feedback swissinfo.ch received on the vote has focused on this aspect of the Swiss political system, which means that ordinary people have the right to shape laws. But the history of direct democracy over the past 150 years is one of slow evolution and adaptation, and the result of the minaret vote…

Low vaccination rate “could spark big flu wave”

This content was published on Nov 20, 2009 The number of people with swine flu is rising fast: the Federal Health Office warned on Thursday that the number of cases of the H1N1 influenza had tripled over the space of one week to 4,500. But only 27 per cent of the general public are expected to get vaccinated. The Federal Health Office warned…

Consensus politics should survive reform plans

This content was published on Aug 28, 2009 The announcement comes amid a heated debate over whether President Hans-Rudolf Merz was right in acting alone last week by apologising to Libya for the 2008 arrest of Moammar Gaddafi’s son and daughter-in-law. The justice ministry has been given until the spring of 2010 to come up with proposals. A few potential reforms were listed…

Can Sunday shopping help beat the crisis?

This content was published on Jul 19, 2009 Sunday shopping in particular is still frowned upon in many parts of Switzerland. Proposals to change the situation have met with stiff opposition from the unions. Economic forecasts for Switzerland have been glum in the past months, with reports of falling exports and a stagnating economy. The government’s solution to the current financial crisis has…

Paedophile vote set to cause headaches

This content was published on Nov 30, 2008 Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said acceptance of the initiative to do away with a statute of limitations for paedophile crimes posed a number of legal issues that would not be easy to solve. The government and the major political parties, except for the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, were opposed to the initiative, put forward by…

Low Swiss abortion rate runs counter to norm

This content was published on Nov 7, 2007 The Swiss abortion law was relaxed in 2002. Until then it had been one of the most restrictive on the continent. According to the Federal Statistics Office, there were 10,500 abortions in Switzerland in 2006. This is equivalent to 6.8 terminations per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is below the rate of neighbouring countries Germany…

Swiss face up to infectious disease threat

This content was published on Aug 23, 2007 The Geneva-based organisation is calling for increased cooperation to combat these threats, an area in which Switzerland has long been active. In all, 39 new diseases have developed since 1967, including HIV, Ebola and Sars, said the WHO in its report entitled “A safer future: global public safety in the 21st century”. A major factor…

Archive – Democracy

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Archive – Democracy

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Measles is still a sore spot for the Swiss

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Booming civilian service raises questions

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Rethinking the way we drive now

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Defending popular rights – by limiting them?

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Low vaccination rate “could spark big flu wave”

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Consensus politics should survive reform plans

More

Can Sunday shopping help beat the crisis?

More

Paedophile vote set to cause headaches

More

Low Swiss abortion rate runs counter to norm

More

Swiss face up to infectious disease threat

Popular Stories

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