Cluster: Democracy

Political right tries to block asylum reform

This content was published on Apr 26, 2016 The right to asylum in Switzerland will shortly be the topic of another referendum. This time rightwingers are fighting an amendment of the legislation which aims to speed up the procedure for evaluating applications and to reduce costs.

Democracy

Minister meets Tunisian Nobel Prize winners

This content was published on Apr 22, 2016 Sommaruga met Abdessattar ben Moussa, president of The Tunisian Human Rights League, and Fadhel Mahfoudh, president of The Tunisian Order of Lawyers, in Bern on Friday. The minister praised the decisive contribution of the Quartet to the democratic transition in Tunisia, stressing the central role of civil society, her department said in a statement. The award…

Democracy

EU discuss next steps for direct democracy

This content was published on Apr 20, 2016 How far has European direct democracy come since the European Union launched the European Citizens’ InitiativeExternal link (ECI) as a political instrument for change? Wednesday sees a forum on the issue. The European Citizens’ Initiative became operative in April 2012, and allows people from European Union countries to launch initiatives. More than 50 such initiatives…

Democracy

How the Swiss compromise works – locally

This content was published on Apr 20, 2016 In 2012 Basel University Psychiatric Hospital External linkannounced that it wanted to centralise the Child and Youth Psychiatric Clinic services – then spread over seven sites in the city – into a new location on its grounds. The new clinic would be next to the Adults’ Services. But this was news to Peter Schwob and…

Democracy

A basic income for all – the issue before Swiss voters

This content was published on Apr 18, 2016 The initiative, “for an unconditional basic income”External link, is rooted in debate about a two-speed society where the pay gap continues to grow. Unlike other similar initiatives, it focuses on the digital revolution and the resulting loss of traditional jobs. Supporters say giving everyone from the cradle to the grave an unconditional basic income to…

Democracy

The tricky task of being an election observer

This content was published on Apr 15, 2016 “Such a system might work best in a modern society and in a small country,” Kiener Nellen says. “But it comes with a price.” History has shown that it served Switzerland through good times and bad and helped integrate minorities, be they linguistic, religious or social, she says. “It certainly took a while to develop…

Democracy

Are popular votes the answer to Italy’s problems?

This content was published on Apr 14, 2016 Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is not known for a particular fondness of his much older predecessors. Yet the 41-year old former mayor of Florence sometimes sounds just like some of them. ”Now Italy is the most stable country in Europe. People power has won,” he commented on the approval of a new constitution by…

Democracy

Swiss vote again on genetic screening

This content was published on Apr 14, 2016 One year after the Swiss electorate accepted a constitutional amendment allowing preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), the question is again being put to the vote. Pro-life groups are attacking the federal law implementing the amendment via a referendum, but they are not the only ones going into battle – parliamentarians across the political spectrum also believe the new text goes too far.

Opinion

Democracy

How active citizens contribute to modern science

This content was published on Apr 11, 2016 It was just after dawn and a freezing wind blew around my binoculars and into my face as I stood scanning a steely Atlantic bay. Suddenly, where there appeared to be nothing but white caps, my eyes sorted out a thin conga line of ducks. Surf scoters have white feathers that make them look like…

Democracy

‘New form of democracy in my country is a great thing’

This content was published on Apr 9, 2016 The 19-year old student of law in Santiago de Chile is a fresh voice of the Swiss Abroad community. swissinfo.ch gives the floor to leading members of the newly-founded online youth parliament. swissinfo.ch: What do you want to achieve as a member of the new youth parliament of the Swiss abroad – first of all…

Cluster: Democracy

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