Reform of Swiss naturalisation rules is in the works. Parliament has passed the law but it is not yet in force. Confusion abounds so here is a guide to what has happened and where things stood at 4 April 2016. On 20 June 2014 the Swiss parliament passed a new law which changed the number of […]
How powerful is your passport?
Some passports are better than others. South Africans who travelled during the apartheid era will attest to this. To make comparisons easy, Arton Capital has created the Passport Index. The index ranks passports based on the number of countries the holder can travel to with ease. The index can be navigated via a world map, […]
Swiss immigration vote re-run
The February 2014 vote showed just how divided Swiss views on immigration are. While 50.3% voted for the proposal to stop mass immigration, 49.7% voted against it. A re-run could easily undo the result – it should be noted that an exact re-run is not possible under Swiss law. While the amendment to the Swiss […]
A 5-step guide to Switzerland’s immigration changes
On 9 February 2014, Swiss voters decided by a slim majority of 50.3% to adopt new rules on immigration. The new rules now form part of the Swiss Federal constitution. The changes are broad and short on specifics. For this reason the adoption of new legislation implementing the changes is critical for clarifying the exact scope […]
Swiss choose immigration quotas over EU bilaterals
Close to half of the Swiss polled in the recent Vimentis survey would chose to introduce immigration quotas even if it meant the cancelation of European Union (EU) bilateral treaties – 45% held this view. By contrast only 41% would put preservation of the EU bilateral treaties ahead of immigration quotas. 14% were undecided on […]
UDC open to immigration compromise
Christophe Blocher, vice-president of Switzerland’s right-wing UDC party, has indicated that he is prepared to compromise on the controversial 9 February, 2014, referendum that demands quotas on mass immigration from Europe. In an interview last Sunday with the German-language SonntagsZeitung, the Zurich politician said that he was open to exploring more subtle approaches, such as […]
EU elections: The Swiss right’s conundrum
Notwithstanding the long-term visions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine and other exceptional individuals, the wonderfully patriotic propaganda one often finds in American schools about how united the 13 colonies were against King George III has little to do with reality. What largely characterized the colonies was that they were beset by rivalries, jealousies […]
Foreign businesses losing confidence
ZURICH Many foreign companies say they are limiting plans to invest in Switzerland as they await implementation of the February initiative against mass immigration. A survey by the Zurich-based Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) on 25 April revealed that 13% of the 2,700 firms surveyed reported reduced confidence in investing in Switzerland. Although few companies have […]
“It’s not the end of the world!”
Geneva’s MP for the conservative Swiss People’s Party (UDC), which launched the 9 February referendum against mass immigration, tried to reassure a gathering of internationals organized by Le News on 3 April: “The end of the world has not come,” said Yves Nidegger. In his introductory remarks, Ed Girardet, the moderator and Le News’ Managing […]
Le News conference: consequences of Swiss vote on mass immigration
“The Swiss vote on mass immigration: the consequences for you and your organisation” Public Conference / Organized by Le News and the Graduate Institute – 3 April 2014, 12h30 to 13h30 at The Graduate Institute. THIS EVENT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH OVER 200 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE. A BIG THANK TO EVERYONE! It’s not the […]
