On 7 February 1971, Swiss women were granted the right to vote after a referendum on the subject. This weekend marks the 50-year anniversary. An early notable event in the fight for women’s suffrage in Switzerland was a demand to have the right included in a revision of Zurich’s cantonal constitution in 1863. However the […]
Swiss democracy hit by pandemic, according to ranking
In 2020, globally, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index fell from 5.44 in 2019 to 5.37 (on a 0-10 scale), driven by falls across all regions for the first time since 2010, in the aftermath of the global economic and financial crisis. The deterioration in average scores was driven largely by measures taken by governments […]
Most Swiss in favour of federal vote to ban public face covering
A recent poll run by Swiss media company Tamedia on voting intentions for the upcoming federal referendum to ban face covering in public found a majority were in favour. Overall, 63% of those polled were in favour of the ban, with 35% opposed and 2% undecided, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Political party support […]
European court rules against Swiss fine for begging
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against a Swiss fine issued to a Roma beggar. In January 2014, a woman begging on the streets of Geneva was fined CHF 500. Unable to pay the fine, the woman was placed in detention for 5 days. Begging is banned in many places in Switzerland. Laws […]
Swiss federal government rejects vote to ban burqas
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on a federal ban on covering faces in public, a referendum focused on women wearing burqas and niqabs. The Egerkingen initiative aims to ban face coverings in public and to protect the free will of women to leave their faces uncovered. The proposal makes exceptions, such as […]
Swiss referendum launched against same sex marriage
In early December 2020, the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house voted in favour of same sex marriage, finalising a government decision to change Switzerland’s laws to allow marriage equality for all. Since then those opposed to the idea have been busy. The proposed referendum is entitled: Yes to marriage and family, no to marriage […]
Covid: tension rises between Switzerland’s scientists and politicians
Tension between Switzerland’s scientists and politicians is rising, according to RTS. On Saturday, Christian Althaus, an epidemiologist working for the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, Switzerland’s scientific Covid advisory team, announced his resignation and voiced his frustration on Twitter. “One of the reasons why I left the scientific task force this week. Politicians must […]
Errors made managing pandemic, admits new Swiss president
According to RTS, Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s president since 1 January 2021, told the newspaper SonntagsBlick, that between July and September the government underestimated the pandemic. “We thought we could contain the virus but in reality we were far from doing so”, he said. Not only politicians but also many specialists were surprised by the sudden […]
Swiss Federal Council’s theme and photo for 2021
At the dawn of every new year, Switzerland’s Federal Council publishes a photograph along with a theme. This year the theme is gaining a fresh perspective of the familiar. The photo shows the seven members of the Federal Council along with the chancelier. From left to right are Viola Amherd, Simonetta Sommaruga, Ignazio Cassis (vice-president), […]
Switzerland’s president in 2021
Every year Switzerland gets a new president, who is also a member of the Federal Council, Switzerland’s seven-member executive. In Switzerland the role of president is largely ceremonial. The seven members of the Swiss Federal Council act collectively as the head of state. The president’s vote has no more weight than other Federal Council members. […]
