According to a survey, a majority of Swiss support the legalising the sale of cannabis under certain conditions. The survey, conducted by GFS Zurich for Fachverband Sucht and GREA, an association of professionals focussed on addiction, involved questioning 1,200 people by telephone. Of those surveyed, 22% had tried cannabis. The biggest variation was across age. Only 4% […]
Geneva councillor Pierre Maudet ready to give up French nationality
Tribune de Genève. According to Tribune de Genève, Geneva councillor Pierre Maudet is ready to give up his French nationality. Maudet recently put himself forward to replace Didier Burkhalter, the federal councillor, equivalent to cabinet member, who announced his resignation in July. The issue of Maudet’s dual nationality was raised by Céline Amaudruz, a Geneva-based […]
Swiss town’s decision to change canton shows Switzerland’s complexity
Moutier, a largely French-speaking Swiss town of around 7,000 people, has voted to leave the canton of Bern and become part of the canton of Jura. Last Sunday, 51.7% of the nearly 90% of voters casting a ballot, voted to leave Bern and join Jura. Moutier is a commune in one of four districts that decided to remain […]
New initiative to keep foreign workers out of Switzerland
Le Matin. On 15 June 2017, one day after kicking off the job of collecting the signatures required to call a referendum, the text for a new plan to limit access to Switzerland’s job market was presented to the Swiss government. Before a Swiss popular vote or referendum can be launched 100,000 valid signatures must be collected […]
Vaud cabinet remains left-leaning and majority female after Sunday’s vote
Le Matin. Voters in the canton of Vaud put two more politicians from the left into the canton’s diving seat on Sunday. The first round of voting left two of seven cabinet (Conseil d’Etat) positions open. Sunday’s winners, the two with the most votes, were existing councillor Béatrice Métraux (49.96%), from the Green party, and the socialist Cesla Amarelle […]
Result of Swiss vote on energy on 21 May 2017
Today, Swiss voted on whether to support the federal government’s plan to overhaul Switzerland’s energy system. The plan was accepted by 58.2% of voters. The results were in line with most poll predictions leading up to the vote. Support for the plan was widespread. Majorities of voters supported the plan in 22 of Switzerland’s 26 […]
Some numbers behind the divisive Swiss vote on energy
On 21 May 2017, Swiss will vote on the Energy Act, a body of law put together in September 2016. The plan, supported by a Swiss parliamentary majority of 120 to 72, and a an upper house (Council of States) majority of 35 to 6, will be put to a public vote in a couple […]
Vaud cantonal election delivers status quo on low voter turnout
Despite Switzerland’s reputation for democracy, only 39% of eligible voters bothered to vote at Sunday’s cantonal election in Vaud. The election, which gives voters a chance to choose the canton’s 150-seat parliament (Grand Conseil) and who goes into the second round run off for the 7-member executive (Conseil d’Etat) on 21 May, delivered little change. […]
Vote launched to legalise cannabis in Switzerland
Tribune de Genève. Last week a group called “Legalize it“, launched an initiative to have cannabis legalised. They now have 18 months to get 100,000 signatures, the minimum number required to qualify for a referendum, known as a popular initiative. Unlike a failed referendum on the subject in 2008, this one includes a ban on sales […]
No charges to be pressed against 86 year old graffiti culprit
20 Minutes. No charges will be made against the 86 year old woman who sprayed graffiti on a fence outside the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Bern. Balthasars Grüne Links wurde soeben publiziert! https://t.co/HSWZCD8vSS Beiträge u.a. von @smiddy2812 @bmarmier @EliasR94 #presidentielles — Balthasar Glättli (@bglaettli) April 12, 2017 Last week, Louise Schneider, spray painted the […]
