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This permits any of the 26 cantons to present parliament with a plan for a constitutional article, law or decree. The competent commission of the two parliamentary chambers first handles the initiative. If one of the two chambers twice refuses to follow it up, the initiative is abandoned.If accepted, the initiative follows the classic procedure…
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Swiss banking secrecy is intended to protect information concerning bank clients from access by third parties, whether private or official. The banks refer to it as bank client confidentiality. There are clear limits to banking secrecy. It is lifted if criminal activities are suspected. It will not, however, be lifted in cases of tax evasion.…
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Alliance Sud, founded in 1971, is the Swiss Alliance of Development Organisations, comprising the six main Swiss charities concerned with international cooperation: Swissaid, Catholic Lenten Fund, Bread for All, Helvetas, Caritas and Interchurch Aid. Its purpose is to influence Swiss policy in favour of the world’s poor, mainly through campaigning, the provision of information, conferences…
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Switzerland Tourism is the marketing and sales organisation for travel, holidays and congresses in Switzerland. The internet site “myswitzerland.com” provides a wealth of information about the country. It works with tourist partners and providers in Switzerland and abroad to offer tourists coming to Switzerland an “unforgettable holiday experience”.
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Switzerland has two such institutes – the ETH Zurich, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005 – and the EPF in Lausanne, western Switzerland. Both are considered leading institutions of science and technology. The student population at the ETH in Zurich rose to a record 12,705 at the beginning of 2006. The EPF in Lausanne…
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Swiss Solidarity is the fund-raising arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and other media. The money is given to 32 organisations for humanitarian and social aid projects in Switzerland and abroad. Founded in 1946, Swiss Solidarity has been a foundation since 1983. Its headquarters are in Geneva, with regional offices in Bern and Lugano. National…
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Santé Suisse is the umbrella organisation of healthcare insurers in Switzerland. In 2005 it comprised 86 insurers with a total of 7.3 million insured people. Its main tasks are to defend the interests of healthcare insurers at the political level and to inform the public.
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The party was founded in Zurich in 1919, with the purpose of promoting a social policy based on gospel principles. It stands the centre of the Swiss political spectrum. The party is represented in the parliaments of several protestant, German-speaking cantons. It has held two or three seats in the federal parliament for several years.
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The price watchdog – known in Switzerland as “Monsieur Prix” – monitors cartels and powerful companies to prevent them from taking advantage of their dominant position to impose or maintain excessive prices. If he feels there is abuse, he first tries to find an amicable solution. If that fails, he can order a price reduction…
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Elected for a year from the seven members of the cabinet, the president is a “primus inter pares” (first among equals). The president chairs government meetings and takes on some representative functions. There are no additional powers to the office.
