Swiss Politics

One child with two mothers, confounding the law

This content was published on Feb 6, 2013 “Before Elias* was born, we often asked ourselves how our friends would react, whether they would take it badly and whether our child would suffer … But up to now the reactions have been positive, although it’s not always easy. It’s as if we have to go through a permanent coming out.” Gabrielle* makes eye…

Swiss Politics

‘Give me a Kalashnikov and three magazines’

This content was published on Feb 5, 2013 The AK 47, a gun with an unmatched mythical status, developed over 70 years, is also the most widespread weapon of its type worldwide. Buying one in Switzerland is apparently quite simple, as easy as a few clicks of your mouse button. A few minutes on a classified ad website turns up one, never used,…

Swiss Politics

Does gun love have a place in today’s society?

This content was published on Feb 5, 2013 In the United States, a semi-automatic rifle can be bought down at Walmart, while in Japan firearms are banned. But does ease of purchase lead to higher crime rates? Is owning a gun in peacetime a risk factor? Or are rifles and pistols legitimate collector’s items? And are they a valid option for self-defence? What…

Swiss Politics

Hundreds of conscripts rejected as security risk

This content was published on Feb 4, 2013 Of the 40,000 young men called up to join the army annually, about ten per cent were found to have a record of some kind, an army spokesman confirmed. Normally all Swiss men have to perform army service, which consists of between 18 and 21 weeks of training at recruit school and subsequent periods of…

Swiss Politics

EU wields threat of financial blacklist

This content was published on Feb 4, 2013 By mid-2013, the Swiss government needs to propose solutions for “rapidly dismantling the systems for taxing corporations used by some cantons”. This ultimatum, issued by the EU Council of Ministers in December, was repeated a few days ago by the European commissioner for taxation Algirdas Semeta. The 27-nation bloc is going after the special tax…

Swiss Politics

Cantons begin to see downside of low tax rates

This content was published on Feb 4, 2013 The paradise that is central Switzerland is as much natural as it is fiscal: glassy lakes, snowy peaks, untouched natural beauty, and a state – cantonal – that only moderately taps individual income or business profits. These attributes cause foreign taxpayers to arrive in droves and the European Union to grumble that Switzerland as a…

Swiss Politics

Fiscal competition – blessing or bane?

This content was published on Feb 4, 2013 There is also nothing that guarantees that firms or rich people will stay if they find a better deal elsewhere. So does it make sense to participate in this race from an economic point of view or is it simply kowtowing to the wealthy and big companies? Let us know what you think.

Swiss Politics

Merging communes raises identity issues

This content was published on Feb 3, 2013 Rainer Schweizer, a historian from the Research Institute for Legal Sciences at St Gallen University, tells swissinfo.ch that citizens will find it increasingly difficult to relate to their ‘place of origin’ as the trend for communal reforms and mergers continues. The Swiss inherit their place of origin from their fathers. The village, town or city…

Swiss Politics

Home town is where the heart is

This content was published on Feb 3, 2013 As a rule the Swiss inherit their place of origin from their fathers. The village, town or city stores the certificates of family origin when citizens leave; and it records births, marriages and deaths as the parish registers used to do. Many Swiss remain emotionally attached to these physical roots, particularly those who live abroad.…

Swiss Politics

Army struggles to recover missing guns

This content was published on Feb 1, 2013 Last March the army began checking on the whereabouts of the rifles and pistols of 27,600 soldiers who ended their service during that period. While registration has been completed for more than 80 per cent, around 4,000 citizen-soldiers have yet to reply while another 865 have not been located and are still being actively sought.…

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One child with two mothers, confounding the law

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‘Give me a Kalashnikov and three magazines’

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Does gun love have a place in today’s society?

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Hundreds of conscripts rejected as security risk

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EU wields threat of financial blacklist

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Cantons begin to see downside of low tax rates

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Fiscal competition – blessing or bane?

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Merging communes raises identity issues

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Home town is where the heart is

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Army struggles to recover missing guns

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