Currently, anyone serving as at least eight years as a state minister for the canton receives a pension for life. The Liberal Green party recently launched an initiative to have this system abolished, something that has already happened in other Swiss cantons. Initiative organizers have until 8 July 2019 to collect the 5,227 signatures required […]
Archives for 2019
Muslim parliamentarian sits in public section of parliament to comply with new Geneva dress code
Recently introduced rules in Geneva prevent people in public office wearing religious symbols at work. This week, during a parliamentary session, Sabine Tiguemounine, a parliamentarian from the Green party, decided to sit in the area of Geneva’s parliament building open to the public, rather than sit in the main area where parliamentary members normally sit. […]
Bern bans jet skis on Lake Geneva
Switzerland’s Federal Council recently banned boat-based parasailing along with the use of jet skis and other jet propelled vessels on Lake Geneva. Rules in place since 1979 covering what can be used on the lake did not specifically mention such activities or vessels. After France specifically banned them the baton was the Swiss Federal government […]
FILM: THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER – a New York teacher who becomes obsessed by a pupil
15 March 2019. By Neptune Please take note, dear cinephiles – four out of five films this week are done by, with and about women. We’ve come a long way, baby… Also try to catch the last days of the important and ambitious FIFDH – the Human Rights film festival in its 17th year in […]
Question of the week: does farming care for or destroy nature?
In Europe it is difficult to know what the landscape looked like before farming, but much of it was forested. However, in more recently altered landscapes, like New Zealand’s, it is easier. A time series of maps shows how the vast majority of New Zealand’s forests have disappeared, largely at the hands of farmers, and most of […]
Why there is so much egg pasta in Switzerland
Strolling through the pasta aisle of a Swiss supermarket, someone new to Switzerland might conclude that the locals prefer egg pasta over the eggless variety. And, while that might to some extent be true, there is another reason. Every year, Swiss egg producers produce too many eggs and turn to the government for help. The […]
Most Swiss unhappy with the nation’s politics, according to survey
A recently published survey shows only 38% of Swiss were happy with the country’s politics in 2018. The online survey by Vimentis, shows a small improvement on 2017 when the same figure was 36%. Results varied significantly by political party membership. In 2018, most members (60%) of the PLR (FDP) were satisfied, compared to members […]
International Women’s Day – discontent with Switzerland’s childcare system
Since 1911, when people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland came out in support of equal rights, 8 March has been International Women’s Day. A survey by Ispos on the event’s website gives insights into attitudes towards gender equality around the world. Some areas, like whether it’s easier to be a man, are controversial and show […]
Percentage of men in workforce declines in Switzerland
Recently published figures show a 7% decline in the percentage of men in Switzerland’s workforce between 1991 and 2018. The workforce figures, which include the unemployed, show a fall in male workforce participation from 81% to 74%, a 7% decline over 27 years. At the same time, the percentage of women working rose 6% from […]
FILM: STAN AND OLLIE – a sweet tribute to the legendary duo Laurel and Hardy
8 March 2019. By Neptune STAN AND OLLIE **** Duos have always been popular for they are often made up of opposites and therefore make for varied possibilities. There’s always the repartee that livens up these acts, giving them both fun and pathos, as with Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis, Holmes and Watson, or […]
