Could NSA leaker Edward Snowden find refuge in Switzerland? It is a notion that has been seriously discussed in Swiss political circles recently. Snowden does not qualify for political asylum, as he is not under immediate threat in Russia. But he could be granted legal immunity and invited to testify as a material witness if […]
The Human Brain Project: a very expensive headache
On Reflection is an occasional column contributed by a reader. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily shared or supported in any way by Le News. By now, most of us have heard of the Human Brain Project, whose aim is to simulate the complete human brain using supercomputers. The […]
They grow up so fast these days
The seven-year-old surprised me the other day by hopping into the back seat of the car, with full make-up on: eyeliner, mascara, gold eye-shadow (mostly all over her forehead, but still), blusher and lipstick. And engulfed in a cloud of perfume.We looked at one another in the rear-view mirror for a few moments. I know […]
Editorial comment: Can you be a good Swiss?
In an article highlighted last week by SwissInfo, a Swiss government-funded information service, a new survey on what is a Swiss has been issued by a group of artists, historians and sociologists fifty years after a controversially censored ‘Gulliver’ questionnaire was carried out during the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne in 1964. Basically, the landmark […]
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 […]
Language thermidor – Robyn Goss grapples with French
When they heard that I was moving to Switzerland, many of my South African friends assured me that I would be speaking French fluently “in no time”. Most of them do not speak French themselves, and were most likely confusing French the actual language with French the menu language. The latter usually has helpful English […]
Switzerland to silence whistle-blowers
Proposed law provides no protection for whistleblowers The proposed whistleblowing law adopted by the Swiss Conseil des Etats, the upper house of parliament, will effectively silence employees who are best placed to report wrongdoing and threats to the public interest. The law, which focuses on whistleblowing procedures rather than on the public interest value in […]
Lake Geneva’s higher education card
A recent article in Le Temps suggests that Patrick Aebischer, president of Lausanne’s prestigious École Polytechnique Fédérale (EPFL), has gone too far with his ambitious plans to expand what is now referred to as the “MIT of Europe”. The 9 February referendum on immigration threatens not only EPFL’s European Union funding, but also access to […]
In sickness and in health
Oh, hooray. It’s cold and flu season again (again? Wasn’t it just November, like, a month ago?) and to amuse us all during this trying time, I’ve compiled a short list of sufferer ‘types’, based on my family. I’m sure there are more types, so contributions are welcome, but this is what I have to […]
Health insurance, restaurant taxes and crossing Lake Geneva
The concept of a referendum appears to be viewed increasingly by Europeans as a quick way to impose change on politicians (first Scotland, then Catalonia). The question, however, is whether the referendum really constitutes an effective form of democracy. Is decision-making not supposed to be the role of elected parliamentarians? And if a referendum affecting […]