Cluster: Democracy

After 20 years, Alpine truck traffic still not on track

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 On that night of February 20, 1994, then-transport minister Adolf Ogi must have had trouble getting to sleep. The nation’s voters had just accepted the “Alpine Initiative”. The “yes” side had won with 51.9% of the votes and 19 cantons out of 26, and the popular Swiss People’s Party politician had just acquired the dubious distinction,…

Democracy

Racism watchdog calls immigration vote a ‘setback’

This content was published on Feb 19, 2014 Sabine Simkhovitch-Dreyfus, vice-president of the Federal Commission against Racism, spoke to swissinfo.ch on the day Switzerland defended its race relations record before the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva as part of a regular country review. Drawing on the findings, she examines the impact of the recent vote in favour of…

Democracy

Minister seeks damage limitation after immigration vote

This content was published on Feb 18, 2014 Burkhalter, who acts as Swiss president this year, held talks in Berlin and Paris on Tuesday to explain the government’s refusal to sign a labour market accord with new EU member Croatia as a result of the ballot on February 9. He pledged to find a solution to apply the vote result which is not…

Democracy

EU freezes Switzerland out of research funds

This content was published on Feb 17, 2014 The Swiss government confirmed at the weekend that, as a result of the vote, it would not sign an already agreed deal to grant Croatian job seekers access to Switzerland. The European Commission responded by putting the research and education talks on ice. Participation in the €94.7 billion (CHF115 billion) Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ projects…

Democracy

Swiss won’t sign Croatia free movement deal

This content was published on Feb 16, 2014 A spokesman told the Swiss news agency that the deal could not be signed “in its current form” after the February 9 vote in favour of curbing EU immigration. The two countries had agreed the free movement deal in summer 2013, shortly after Croatia joined the EU. Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga called Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna…

Democracy

Vote is “wrong therapy” for a complex problem

This content was published on Feb 16, 2014 But the country is now faced with the decision of either accepting the economic consequences of its isolation or admitting that this image no longer tallies with reality, the Zurich University emeritus professor said. French-speaking Switzerland came out against the initiative, meaning that it now has to accept a decision made by the German-speaking part, which…

Democracy

Immigration vote remains front and centre

This content was published on Feb 15, 2014

Democracy

Blocher downplays quota impact on business

This content was published on Feb 14, 2014 In a syndicated interview in Friday’s Tages-Anzeiger and Der Bund newspapers Swiss People’s Party strongman Christoph Blocher said conditions for businesses in Switzerland have remained stable following Sunday’s shock decision by voters to curb immigration and re-impose quotas for workers from the European Union – Switzerland’s main trading partner. “Fundamentally nothing has changed,” he said.…

Democracy

‘The Swiss are resisting pro-Europe policies’

This content was published on Feb 13, 2014 The approval of the initiative “Against mass immigration” has moved people on either side of the Swiss border. Some reactions accuse the Swiss of cherry picking and populism; others congratulated them. Was February 9, 2014, a good or bad day for direct democracy? For Professor Wolf Linder, former director of the Institute for Political Science…

Democracy

Cartoonists unimpressed by immigration vote

This content was published on Feb 13, 2014 n their editorials, Swiss newspapers pointed to the historical significance and the uncertainty triggered by the result on February 9. Reactions varied from calling it a “worst case scenario” to a “victory”. Most papers drew a comparison with the vote in 1992, when the Swiss narrowly rejected membership of the European Economic Area, the European…

Cluster: Democracy

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Cluster: Democracy

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After 20 years, Alpine truck traffic still not on track

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Racism watchdog calls immigration vote a ‘setback’

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Minister seeks damage limitation after immigration vote

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EU freezes Switzerland out of research funds

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Swiss won’t sign Croatia free movement deal

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Vote is “wrong therapy” for a complex problem

More

Immigration vote remains front and centre

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Blocher downplays quota impact on business

More

‘The Swiss are resisting pro-Europe policies’

More

Cartoonists unimpressed by immigration vote

Popular Stories

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