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. […]
Former Swiss army boss supports compulsory military or civil service for Swiss women
Currently, all able bodied Swiss men must serve in Switzerland’s military or spend time doing civil service. The obligation begins at the age of 18. However, the obligation only applies to men. Women can serve but are not required to. An initiative (servicecitoyen.ch), which is planned for 2021, aims to replace the existing system with […]
Swiss president one of world’s 100 most influential women, according to Forbes
As her year as Switzerland’s president comes to an end, Simonetta Sommaruga joins 99 other women on the Forbes list of the world’s 100 most influential women. Sommaruga was ranked 56th. The top three were Angela Merkel, Christine Lagarde and Kamala Harris, America’s new vice president. Merkel has held the top spot ten years in […]
Public worker absenteeism costs Geneva 285 million francs a year
Public worker absenteeism in Geneva costs at least CHF 285 million, according to Heidi.news, which calculated the sum based on information contained in an internal document. According to the news service the cost of absenteeism, which continues to rise, is equivalent to 11% of the 2.54 billion spent public sector workers’ salaries in 2019 and […]
Terror attack in Vienna linked to Winterthur
Following the terrorist attack in Vienna this week, Swiss and Austrian authorities have been in contact following the arrest of two Swiss in Winterthur, a hotbed of radicalisation in Switzerland, according to RTS. Intelligence services, police and judicial authorities from both nations have been working together to look at the case. The An’ Nur mosque […]
