Cluster: Democracy

Testing the limits of unlimited mobility

This content was published on Feb 24, 2011 Now the debate is on to determine who should pay for what as frustrated commuters consider their options – including navigating the choked roads and motorways. Some 162,000 commuters travel to Zurich every day: 90,000 of them come by car, another 70,000 arrive via public transport. Meanwhile, 44,000 Zurich residents leave the city every day…

Democracy

Swiss voters stick to their gun tradition

This content was published on Feb 13, 2011 Just over 56 per cent of voters on Sunday threw out a proposal by an alliance of non-governmental groups and centre-left parties to ban army-issue firearms from the home and set up a central arms register in a bid to curb gun violence.Admitting defeat the supporters of the anti-gun initiative looked on the bright side.…

Democracy

Swiss not as democratic as they think

This content was published on Jan 28, 2011 The Democracy Barometer, co-authored by researchers at Zurich University and unveiled on Thursday, found that Denmark, Finland and Belgium had the world’s best functioning democracies. Britain and France were among the worst performers.The barometer, developed with the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) and the first of its kind, shows the development of the 30…

Democracy

Swiss trains are victim of own success

This content was published on Jan 2, 2011 Raising the ticket price during peak hours is one of the solutions on the table, while another is an expansion of services offered by the Swiss Federal Railways. A typical day begins badly for many commuters. Seats are often only available for people who are lucky enough to get on the train at the first…

Democracy

Flu campaign launched a year after H1N1 panic

This content was published on Oct 20, 2010 The consumer protection watchdog said it supported the health office but wanted to see figures on the efficacy of vaccinations. In August the government declared the 2009 flu pandemic, a global outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, officially over. The media reaction and logistical problems had been large; the spread of the…

Photo of a train and a young girl on it over mountain and lake background

Democracy

Are Swiss trains on the right tourist track?

This content was published on Aug 6, 2010 This week the Public Transport Association announced that in December ticket prices for trains and postal buses would increase by an average of 5.9 per cent, the first major hike in public transport fares in three years. But there’s good news for tourists: the various train passes aimed at visitors will stay the same, according…

Democracy

Labour laws questioned as 24-hour shops shut

This content was published on Aug 4, 2010 For the past two years, seven petrol stations in canton Zurich have been defying a recently introduced law on late-night trading by opening their shops from 1-5am. But no longer. In July the Federal Court upheld a general ban on opening shops at petrol stations late at night, ruling that there could be no exceptions.…

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…

Democracy

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…

Democracy

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…

Cluster: Democracy

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Cluster: Democracy

More

Testing the limits of unlimited mobility

More

Swiss voters stick to their gun tradition

More

Swiss not as democratic as they think

More

Swiss trains are victim of own success

More

Flu campaign launched a year after H1N1 panic

More

Are Swiss trains on the right tourist track?

More

Labour laws questioned as 24-hour shops shut

More

Measles is still a sore spot for the Swiss

More

Booming civilian service raises questions

More

Rethinking the way we drive now

Popular Stories

Most Discussed