Swiss Vote Overwhelmingly for Same-sex Marriage, According to Poll

THE GUARDIAN: Projection indicates clear backing in Sunday’s referendum for ‘Marriage for All’ proposal

Posters of rival political parties and associations in Perly, near Geneva. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA
Swiss voters appear to have decided by a clear margin to allow same-sex couples to marry, according to a projection after a national referendum on Sunday.

The projection, by the gfs.bern polling agency for Switzerland’s public broadcasters, showed the measure passing by 64% to 36%.

Switzerland’s parliament and the governing federal council supported the “Marriage for All” measure, and pre-referendum polls showed solid backing. Switzerland has authorised same-sex civil partnerships since 2007.

Supporters said the proposal would put same-sex partners on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples, by allowing them to adopt children together and facilitating citizenship for same-sex spouses. It would also permit lesbian couples to use regulated sperm donation. » | Associated Press in Geneva | Sunday, September 26, 2021

More on this referendum in both English and French here.

Switzerland Holding Referendum on Same-sex Marriage

BBC: People in Switzerland are voting to decide whether to allow same-sex marriage. Switzerland is one of the last countries in western Europe not to recognise same-sex marriage, and supporters say the change in the law is long overdue.

But there is opposition from some church groups and right wing political parties, who claim it would undermine the traditional family.

Producer: Imogen Foulkes


À LIRE AUSSI :

Mariage pour tous : les Suisses appelés à voter ce dimanche »

Cheesemaking - Visiting a Swiss Dairyman

Oct 15, 2015 • The day at "Alp Calfeisen" starts with heating up the huge cheese vat. Cheese is still made by hand here according to a traditional method with milk from healthy cows grazing on high pastures.

Dairyman Andreas Itten takes us through the refined art of cheesemaking: turning milk into wheels of cheese, keeping the cheese at its prime until it arrives on the shop shelves, and then how alpine butter is made. An excerpt from "Healthy Cows" produced by NZZ Format | Views on YouTube: 12,658,259

Eine letzte Zigarette: Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes (2009)

A Final Cigarette (Swiss documentary) part 1 - Das war einmal: Schweizer TV-Moderatoren mit der Zigarette in der Hand, Swissair-Piloten, die sich nach dem Start mit einem Glimmstengel belohnen, Nationalräte im Tabakdunst: DOK dokumentiert den Aufstieg und Fall des blauen Dunstes. Ist die zunehmende Reglementierung des Rauchens richtig oder falsch?

Auf der Terrasse des rauchfreien Bundeshauses stehen schlotternde Nationalräte im Schneesturm und rauchen trotz beissender Kälte. DOK-Autor Fritz Muri vergleicht diese Szene mit Fundstücken aus Film- und Fotoarchiven aus einer Zeit, als mehr als 50 Prozent der Erwachsenen in der Schweiz noch rauchten.

Ein besonderes Highlight ist die Szene, in der Dichter Friedrich Dürrenmatt und Literaturpapst Marcel Reich-Ranicki während einer Fernsehdiskussion einen Studiobrand verursachten. Besonders die Eliten aus Kultur, Medien und Politik waren dem blauen Dunst zugetan. Kettenraucher gab es aber auch unter Piloten und Chirurgen. Models hüpften mit der Zigarette in der Hand über den Laufsteg, und die Werbung verbreitete omnipräsent den Duft der grossen weiten Welt.

Die weltweiten Kampagnien der Tabakmultis hatten damals ihre Gesichter. Zwei davon gehörten Schweizern: Der Berner George Herriger zog als Camel-Man durch den Dschungel, und Beat Wyss lächelte als Parisienne-Protagonist von den Plakatwänden der Luzerner wurde damals unfreiwillig zum Vorzeigeraucher und erforschte später als Professor der Kunst- und Mediengeschichte die Kulturgeschichte des Rauchens. Im Dokumentarfilm wird er zum Experten im doppelten Sinne.

Zu Wort kommen auch Präventivmediziner, Manager der Tabakmultis, der ehemalige Tabak-Lobbyist Edgar Oehler und der vormalige Tageschau-Chef Heiner Hug. DOK zeigt, wie in Büros, Fernsehstudios, Spitälern und Polizeistationen die Raucherinnen und Raucher immer mehr an den Rand gedrängt werden, aber auch wie eine Handvoll Genussraucher auf ein Zürichseeschiff flüchtet, um ungestört ihrem Laster zu frönen.

Fritz Muri schildert in seinem Film zudem die Geschichte des Bündner Volksmusikkönigs Peter Zinsli. Nach 60 Jahren als Raucher kann er heute nur noch mit einer Sauerstoffmaske überleben. Kann sein Beispiel seinen Sohn und seine Enkelin vom Rauchen abhalten? DOK gibt die Antwort.






Gaby gab auf zu rauchen. Nun verlangt sie, daß alle anderen auch zu rauchen aufhören. Scheinbar will sie nicht allein sein! »

Switzerland Walks Out of Seven-year Treaty Talks with EU

THE GUARDIAN: Swiss say terms unacceptable despite Brussels’ claims they are better than those offered to UK

Switzerland has walked out of talks on a closer trading relationship with the European Union despite being offered better terms than the UK in key areas, EU officials have claimed.

On Wednesday the country’s foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, pulled the plug on long-running discussions with the EU, saying that Berne’s conditions were “not met”.

Switzerland, while outside the EU, is the bloc’s fourth biggest trading partner and its economy is closely integrated with those of the 27 member states. Citizens of Switzerland and the EU member states have a mutual right to free movement.

But the Swiss government claimed it could not accept the EU’s demands to maintain and deepen ties as they would be rejected in a legally required referendum on a deal. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, May 27, 2021

Switzerland to Ban Wearing of Burqa and Niqab in Public Places

THE GUARDIAN: Muslim groups criticise move, which they say will further stigmatise and marginalise their community

Switzerland will follow France, Belgium and Austria after narrowly voting in a referendum to ban women from wearing the burqa or niqab in public spaces.

Just over 51% of Swiss voters cast their ballots in favour of the initiative to ban people from covering their face completely on the street, in shops and restaurants.

Full facial veils will still be allowed to be worn inside places of prayer and for “native customs”, such as carnival.

Face coverings worn for health and safety reasons are also exempt from the ban, meaning face masks worn because of the Covid-19 pandemic will not be affected by the new law. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Sunday, March 7, 2021

Winston Churchill - Zurich Speech - "United States of Europe" - September 1946

Speech of Winston Churchill - United States of Europe Zurich, 19th September 1946

The words of a great man! “Let Europe arise!” Are you listening, Boris? – ©Mark

Geneva to Raise Minimum Wage to £3,500 a Month

THE GUARDIAN: Voters back increase amid reports of growing poverty linked to Covid-19 pandemic

Geneva is to raise its minimum wage to almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.

The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the increase proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.

The minimum hourly wage will rise to just under £19.50 an hour, more than twice the rate in neighbouring France, with a guaranteed minimum monthly salary of 4,086 Swiss francs (£3,457) based on a 41-hour working week, or 49,000 Swiss francs (£41,430) a year, in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Hundreds Queue for Food Parcels in Wealthy Geneva

THE GUARDIAN: Over 1,000 poorer working people and undocumented migrants waited for hours for basics

More than 1,000 people queued on Saturday to get free food parcels in Geneva, underscoring the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the working poor and undocumented immigrants even in wealthy Switzerland.

The line of people stretched for more than 1km outside an ice rink where volunteers were handing out about 1,500 parcels to people who started queuing as early as 5am.

“At the end of the month, my pockets are empty. We have to pay the bills, the insurance, everything,” said Ingrid Berala, a Geneva resident from Nicaragua who works part-time. “This is great, because there is food for a week, a week of relief … I don’t know for next week.” » | Reuters in Geneva | Saturday, May 9, 2020

Switzerland Imposes Sweeping Measures to Contain Coronavirus

SWISS INFO: Switzerland has closed schools throughout the country and imposed a ban on public gatherings of more than 100 people. The government pledged CHF10 billion ($10.6 billion) in emergency aid to support the economy and re-introduced in principle border checks with neighbouring countries.

The package of measures was announced at a news conference attended by four of the seven government ministers on Friday.

The ban on gatherings will last until at least the end of April while schools will be closed until April 4 (some cantons have bans until April 30). The border with Italy will remain open but further restrictions will be applied. Furthermore, border controls with other European countries have been tightened with a suspension of the single border agreement. Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union but is included in the Schengen zone.

The CHF10 billion ($10.6 billion) aid package is aimed at helping companies survive the economic downturn caused by coronavirus. » | Urs Geiser and Matthew Allen | Friday, March 13, 2020

Opinion: The Happy, Healthy Capitalists of Switzerland

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Forget Scandinavia. Switzerland is richer and yet has a surprisingly equal wealth distribution.

Like many progressive intellectuals, Bernie Sanders traces his vision of economic paradise not to socialist dictatorships like Venezuela but to their distant cousins in Scandinavia, which are just as wealthy and democratic as the United States but have more equitable distributions of wealth, as well as affordable health care and free college for all.

There is, however, a country far richer and just as fair as any in the Scandinavian trio of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. But no one talks about it.

This $700 billion European economy is among the world’s 20 largest, significantly bigger than any in Scandinavia. It delivers welfare benefits as comprehensive as Scandinavia’s but with lighter taxes, smaller government, and a more open and stable economy. Steady growth recently made it the second richest nationin the world, after Luxembourg, with an average income of $84,000, or $20,000 more than the Scandinavian average. Money is not the final measure of success, but surveys also rank this nation as one of the world’s 10 happiest.

This less socialist but more successful utopia is Switzerland. » | Ruchir Sharma | Saturday, November 2, 2019

Switzerland Votes for Tighter Gun Laws by Large Margin

THE GUARDIAN: Motion to line up county’s laws with EU rules passed with 64% of votes, initial results show

Swiss voters have agreed by a nearly two-to-one margin to adopt tighter gun controls in line with changes to European Union rules, heading off a clash with Brussels.

The measure passed in the binding referendum on Sunday under the Swiss system of direct democracy by a 64%-36% margin, provisional final results showed.

The restrictions, which apply to Switzerland as a non-EU member because it is part of Europe’s Schengen open-border system, had raised hackles among shooting enthusiasts before the vote.

Failure to adopt the rules could have forced Switzerland to leave the passport-free Schengen zone and the Dublin joint system for handling asylum requests. » | Reuters | Sunday, May 19, 2019

Global Billionaires Are Terrified Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Billionaires, CEOs, and other people who have devoted their lives to money are gathered in Davos, Switzerland, and they all seem to have one thing on their mind right now: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The billionaires at the summit are freaking out over her idea to raise marginal tax rates on income over $10 million to 70%, which is actually not as high as it had been in the past. Her policies are popular, and that’s what scares these billionaires, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.

Switzerland: Cradle of Populism? – BBC Newsnight

Switzerland. Neutral, wealthy, and peaceful, the home of direct democracy. But is it also the birthplace of populism? When back in March, Steve Bannon embarked on his tour to unite Europe’s populist parties, he gave his first public address in Zurich. Switzerland is where the anti-globalist fightback began, he told his audience, when its people said no to joining the European Community in a referendum in 1992. Now it may retreat further still, as the Swiss prepare to scrap international treaties in favour of national laws. In the week Donald Trump laid out his stall at the UN General Assembly, Gabriel Gatehouse has the story of populism vs globalism, an epic battle for our age.

Churchill - United States of Europe

It is official! The iconic Sir Winston Churchill called for the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’ in his famous 1946 Zurich speech and Presided the first European Federal Congress at the Hague in 1948. He was one of the key fathers of a united Europe and set in motion ideas and events which would develop and grow to become the European Union.

Coming to Terms with a Tarnished Swiss Wartime Record

Read the article here

Kim Jong-un: North Korea's Dangerous Leader | DW Documentary

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is considered to be unpredictable and dangerous. His nuclear weapons and rocket tests signal his disregard for UN sanctions.

Our report features eyewitness accounts and interviews with experts, and offers exclusive insight into the life of the world's most enigmatic dictator. Kim was declared North Korea's supreme leader in 2011. North Korean sources say he was born in 1982 -- the son of Kim Jong-Il, the country's supreme leader at the time. Reports say he attended school in Switzerland from 1993 - 2000. Some classmates described him as shy, but a good student and a basketball fan. Our report sheds some light on Kim's personality and personal relationships -- including his marriage to a former singer, and his friendship with a Japanese sushi chef.

Switzerland: 'Demonisation of the Press Is Poisonous' - UN Human Rights Official on Trump

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, commented on US President Donald Trump's recent comments about the press at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday.

"The president prides himself as a taboo breaker. Indeed, his supporters see him as such, but at the time I expressed my feeling that this was grossly irresponsible because it has consequences, it emboldens those who may think similarly to sharpen their assaults" he said.


WIKI: Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad »

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill's Speech in the University of Zurich, 1946 - Parts 1 & 2 (English)

Deutsch: Im September 1946 rief Winston Churchill in einer Rede an der Universität Zürich dazu auf, „eine Art Vereinigte Staaten von Europa" zu errichten. Im selben Jahr fand ein Kongress der europäischen Föderalisten in Hertenstein in der Schweiz statt. Dort wurden zwölf Thesen verfasst, die als Hertensteiner Programm zur Grundlage der europäischen Arbeit der Nachkriegsjahre und zugleich zum politischen Gründungsdokument der Europa-Union Deutschland wurden. Ziel ist bis heute eine auf "föderativer Grundlage errichtete, europäische Gemeinschaft"

Grosses Weltwoche-Podium „Das Phänomen Trump“ [The Trump Phenomenon] (Panel in English)

Kurz vor seiner Amtseinführung als 45. US-Präsident diskutiert Roger Köppel mit einer hochkarätigen Runde über die Wahl und Person von Donald Trump sowie über die Chancen und Risiken der neuen US-Regierung. Das Podium fand am 16.01.2017 im Hotel Renaissance in Zürich statt.