Swiss Politics

Italians in Switzerland hope for a turnaround

This content was published on Feb 24, 2013 “The community of Italians in Switzerland has been forgotten. But this community is a great resource that should be better acknowledged and represented,” as 34-year-old Filippo Burnelli, a candidate for the Italian protest movement “Movimento 5 stelle”, tells swissinfo.ch. Many of Burnelli’s countrymen in Switzerland share this opinion. There is a mixture of bitterness and…

Swiss Politics

Private armies enter judicial cross hairs

This content was published on Feb 24, 2013 With this framework, Switzerland is playing its part in a “pioneering international effort”, claimed Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, as she presented the government’s bill on “private security services provided abroad”. Although he has some reservations, Marco Sassoli, professor and head of the department of international public law and international organisation at the University of Geneva,…

Swiss Politics

Mercenary firms: a lucrative niche market

This content was published on Feb 24, 2013 Since the 1990s, the United States Armed Forces and particularly also the armies of Europe have been using private military firms to handle tasks they can no longer fulfil. Alexandre Vautravers, head of the department of international relations at Webster University in Geneva and chief editor of Revue Militaire Suisse, explains why. swissinfo.ch: How do…

Swiss Politics

Second homes vote creates winners and losers

This content was published on Feb 21, 2013 On March 11, 2012, 50.4 per cent of Swiss voters agreed that “in every commune where at least 20 per cent of homes are second homes, no more second homes may be built”. This has affected some 500 communes, where around 2,500 second homes were built per year between 2000 and 2010, according to a…

Swiss Politics

Fat cat initiative poised to sail through

This content was published on Feb 20, 2013 “Opponents of the fat cat initiative must brace themselves for defeat,” said political scientist Claude Longchamp, head of the GfS Bern research and polling institute. Latest figures show 64 per cent of respondents coming out in favour of the proposal, virtually unchanged from a first opinion poll in January. It was carried out by the…

Swiss Politics

Public shows support for salary initiative

This content was published on Feb 20, 2013 The latest survey commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, which polled more than 1,400 citizens across the country, showed extensive support for the “Minder initiative”.

Swiss Politics

Report prompts recall of labelled horsemeat

This content was published on Feb 20, 2013 The episode of the investigative programme “Kassensturz” on Swiss television showed footage of horses being beaten, neglected and transported for hours without food or water before being slaughtered. The revelations came at a time when horsemeat is already in the news for a completely different reason: a Europe-wide scandal involving undeclared horsemeat found in frozen…

Swiss Politics

Witness programme to break code of silence

This content was published on Feb 20, 2013 Running a witness protection programme would seem an obvious step for most law enforcement agencies. In the public conscience, it has become mainstream enough for Humphrey Bogart, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Homer Simpson to portray it fictionally. Yet in Switzerland there was nothing official until now, with any witness protection being carried out an…

Swiss Politics

Vasella drops massive and controversial payout

This content was published on Feb 19, 2013 The Novartis board and Vasella agreed to cancel the so-called non-compete agreement and all related compensation, the company said on Tuesday in a statement. The deal was to take effect after Vasella steps down as chairman at the company’s annual general meeting on Friday. “I have understood that many people in Switzerland find the amount…

Swiss Politics

Opinions divided on Olympic benefits

This content was published on Feb 18, 2013 Supporters are pushing the idea that the Games will bring sustainable development; opponents say Olympics and sustainability are mutually exclusive. The Swiss Olympic Association hopes the project will give a new impulse to winter sports disciplines in Switzerland. The Games, centred on Davos and St Moritz, will respect the countryside and the climate, expand public…

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Italians in Switzerland hope for a turnaround

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Private armies enter judicial cross hairs

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Mercenary firms: a lucrative niche market

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Second homes vote creates winners and losers

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Fat cat initiative poised to sail through

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Public shows support for salary initiative

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Report prompts recall of labelled horsemeat

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Witness programme to break code of silence

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Vasella drops massive and controversial payout

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Opinions divided on Olympic benefits

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