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S U B S C R I B E
WRS stories about CH votes
Election upset for Swiss People's Party
Thursday, 15 December, 2011
The new Federal Council is now in place after yesterday’s election. Alain Berset is getting ready for his new job as Federal Councilor to replace Micheline Calmy-Rey. He won by a wide margin. But the Swiss People’s Party failed to capture that Social Democrat seat, or oust their long-time nemesis Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports on the celebrations and the wound-licking:
Thursday, 15 December, 2011
The new Federal Council is now in place after yesterday’s election. Alain Berset is getting ready for his new job as Federal Councilor to replace Micheline Calmy-Rey. He won by a wide margin. But the Swiss People’s Party failed to capture that Social Democrat seat, or oust their long-time nemesis Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports on the celebrations and the wound-licking:
Fribourg's Alain Berset wins open seat
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Heading in it was called the most contested Federal Council election anyone can remember, but in the end each of the sitting councillors, including Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, was reelected in first-round voting. Even the battle for outgoing Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey’s replacement lasted only two rounds; Parliament voted for more or less the status quo, choosing the man who was widely seen as the front-runner, Fribourg Senator Alain Berset. This is a failure for the Swiss People’s Party, who had hoped to get a second seat in the government. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports from the Federal Palace in Bern:
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Heading in it was called the most contested Federal Council election anyone can remember, but in the end each of the sitting councillors, including Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, was reelected in first-round voting. Even the battle for outgoing Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey’s replacement lasted only two rounds; Parliament voted for more or less the status quo, choosing the man who was widely seen as the front-runner, Fribourg Senator Alain Berset. This is a failure for the Swiss People’s Party, who had hoped to get a second seat in the government. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports from the Federal Palace in Bern:
Micheline Calmy-Rey bids farewell to Parliament
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Outgoing Swiss President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey gave her farewell speech in Parliament to a standing ovation. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports, while political scientist Daniel Warner and Pedro Simko, Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland provide analysis:
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
Outgoing Swiss President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey gave her farewell speech in Parliament to a standing ovation. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports, while political scientist Daniel Warner and Pedro Simko, Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland provide analysis:
Swiss People's Party ups pressure for second seat in Bern
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
It’s one day to go until Parliament elects the new Federal Council. Later today parliamentary groups meet to finalize their strategies. In recent days the Swiss People’s Party has kicked up the pressure to win back its bid for a second seat in the Federal Council. They’ve now said that if Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf gets reelected the gloves will come off. WRS’s Jordan Davis has been following the events in the federal palace:
Tuesday, 13 December, 2011
It’s one day to go until Parliament elects the new Federal Council. Later today parliamentary groups meet to finalize their strategies. In recent days the Swiss People’s Party has kicked up the pressure to win back its bid for a second seat in the Federal Council. They’ve now said that if Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf gets reelected the gloves will come off. WRS’s Jordan Davis has been following the events in the federal palace:
Major shake-up in Bern ahead of next week's Federal Council election
Thursday, 8 December, 2011
Hansjörg Walter is the new Swiss People’s Party candidate for the Federal Council. He was named late this afternoon after Bruno Zuppiger was forced to step down a week after his nomination amid revelations he was accused of embezzling money from an estate for which he was the executor. WRS’s Pete Forster speaks with our political reporter Jordan Davis who’s at the Federal Palace for the latest:
Thursday, 8 December, 2011
Hansjörg Walter is the new Swiss People’s Party candidate for the Federal Council. He was named late this afternoon after Bruno Zuppiger was forced to step down a week after his nomination amid revelations he was accused of embezzling money from an estate for which he was the executor. WRS’s Pete Forster speaks with our political reporter Jordan Davis who’s at the Federal Palace for the latest:
How low is too low for Swiss voter turnout?
Tuesday, 29 November, 2011
Switzerland’s system of direct democracy is well known all over the world but what’s perhaps less well known is that the Swiss wouldn’t win many prizes for voter turnout. With the exception of the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland doesn’t have compulsory voting. Places which do—like Australia, Mexico or Singapore—regularly see turnout of 80 percent or more. In this country, which sees more calls to the ballot than most, the average rate is closer to 40 percent. This past Sunday, in Geneva, hardly more than one third of voters expressed their opinion. So how low is too low? WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Andreas Auer, professor of public law at the University of Zurich and director of the Center for Research on Direct Democracy:
Tuesday, 29 November, 2011
Switzerland’s system of direct democracy is well known all over the world but what’s perhaps less well known is that the Swiss wouldn’t win many prizes for voter turnout. With the exception of the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland doesn’t have compulsory voting. Places which do—like Australia, Mexico or Singapore—regularly see turnout of 80 percent or more. In this country, which sees more calls to the ballot than most, the average rate is closer to 40 percent. This past Sunday, in Geneva, hardly more than one third of voters expressed their opinion. So how low is too low? WRS’s Dave Goodman talks to Andreas Auer, professor of public law at the University of Zurich and director of the Center for Research on Direct Democracy:
People’s Party stars lose their shine
Monday, 28 November, 2011
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party suffered two major symbolic setbacks at the polls over the weekend. In party strongholds of Zurich and in St Gallen, voters rejected two of the party’s biggest stars in the running for the Council of States. It’s more bad news for the party a month after the general elections which saw it lose seats for the first time in two decades. Many in Bern are saying that the party is facing a crossroads. WRS’s Pete Forster turns to our political reporter Jordan Davis in Bern:
Monday, 28 November, 2011
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party suffered two major symbolic setbacks at the polls over the weekend. In party strongholds of Zurich and in St Gallen, voters rejected two of the party’s biggest stars in the running for the Council of States. It’s more bad news for the party a month after the general elections which saw it lose seats for the first time in two decades. Many in Bern are saying that the party is facing a crossroads. WRS’s Pete Forster turns to our political reporter Jordan Davis in Bern:
Swiss minimum wage debate ignited ahead of vote
Wednesday, 9 November, 2011
Switzerland is one of the few developed countries that doesn’t have a minimum wage. But is it time for that to change? At the end of this month voters in the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel will vote on initiatives to put in place a minimum level of pay. And on the federal level unions say they’ve collected the 100,000 signatures they need for a national vote—one that would make the minimum salary for full-time workers 4,000 francs a month. Christine Serdaly is hoping voters will vote yes for minimum wage proposals. She’s a Social Democrat member of Geneva’s cantonal Parliament. Blaise Matthey is the head of the Fédération des Enterprises Romande which represents businesses in the French-speaking part of the country. He’s against a minimum wage. WRS’s Dave Goodman moderates their debate:
Wednesday, 9 November, 2011
Switzerland is one of the few developed countries that doesn’t have a minimum wage. But is it time for that to change? At the end of this month voters in the cantons of Geneva and Neuchâtel will vote on initiatives to put in place a minimum level of pay. And on the federal level unions say they’ve collected the 100,000 signatures they need for a national vote—one that would make the minimum salary for full-time workers 4,000 francs a month. Christine Serdaly is hoping voters will vote yes for minimum wage proposals. She’s a Social Democrat member of Geneva’s cantonal Parliament. Blaise Matthey is the head of the Fédération des Enterprises Romande which represents businesses in the French-speaking part of the country. He’s against a minimum wage. WRS’s Dave Goodman moderates their debate:
Green Party suffers identity crisis post-election
Thursday, 27 October, 2011
This weekend’s general elections have cast doubt over whether environmentalism is necessarily left-wing. Indeed the traditional, leftist Greens lost a significant 5 seats in parliament, partly at the expense of an upstart challenger, the Green liberals, a party that says it can be pro-business and pro-environment at the same time. The success of the Green Liberals at the polls is making some regular ’Greens’ question whether or not they need to move their politics closer to the center. WRS’s Dave Goodman asks political correspondent Jordan Davis whether the Greens are having an identity crisis:
Thursday, 27 October, 2011
This weekend’s general elections have cast doubt over whether environmentalism is necessarily left-wing. Indeed the traditional, leftist Greens lost a significant 5 seats in parliament, partly at the expense of an upstart challenger, the Green liberals, a party that says it can be pro-business and pro-environment at the same time. The success of the Green Liberals at the polls is making some regular ’Greens’ question whether or not they need to move their politics closer to the center. WRS’s Dave Goodman asks political correspondent Jordan Davis whether the Greens are having an identity crisis:
Observer impressed by 'remarkable' confidence in voting process
Wednesday, 26 October, 2011
As the dust settles on the weekend’s Swiss national Parliamentary elections, observer Peter Eicher from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is preparing to write his report. WRS’s Catherine Allen asked him for his initial impressions and began with a question about the differences between cantons:
Wednesday, 26 October, 2011
As the dust settles on the weekend’s Swiss national Parliamentary elections, observer Peter Eicher from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is preparing to write his report. WRS’s Catherine Allen asked him for his initial impressions and began with a question about the differences between cantons:
Foreign Affairs: Issues the Swiss elections forgot
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
WRS political reporter Jordan Davis joins host Philippe Mottaz and panelist Daniel Warner to talk about Swiss foreign policy issues that surfaced—or didn’t—in this past weekend’s parliamentary elections and the importance of International Geneva. Also on the show, Tunisians went to the polls on Sunday for the first elections of the Arab Spring while the transition in Libya might prove quite difficult:
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
WRS political reporter Jordan Davis joins host Philippe Mottaz and panelist Daniel Warner to talk about Swiss foreign policy issues that surfaced—or didn’t—in this past weekend’s parliamentary elections and the importance of International Geneva. Also on the show, Tunisians went to the polls on Sunday for the first elections of the Arab Spring while the transition in Libya might prove quite difficult:
Bern's 'magic formula' may be vanishing into thin air
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
The speculation is already going wild after the general elections—as the focus turns to the Federal Council elections in December. Will this new Parliament with a gaggle of parties in the center complicate the task of electing ministers to the Federal Council? Several scenarios are being batted about in Bern and they leave the Liberal economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann looking vulnerable. But nothing is set in stone and in fact it’s a situation that’s unprecedented for contemporary Switzerland. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
The speculation is already going wild after the general elections—as the focus turns to the Federal Council elections in December. Will this new Parliament with a gaggle of parties in the center complicate the task of electing ministers to the Federal Council? Several scenarios are being batted about in Bern and they leave the Liberal economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann looking vulnerable. But nothing is set in stone and in fact it’s a situation that’s unprecedented for contemporary Switzerland. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Parties to duke it out for second seat in Federal Council
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
The results of Sunday’s Parliamentary national elections will be critical to determine who will lead the federal government. WRS’s Jo Fahy takes a look at who’s been left in a weak position and how the government’s makeup could change in December:
Tuesday, 25 October, 2011
The results of Sunday’s Parliamentary national elections will be critical to determine who will lead the federal government. WRS’s Jo Fahy takes a look at who’s been left in a weak position and how the government’s makeup could change in December:
Who are the Green Liberals?
Monday, 24 October, 2011
One of Sunday’s big winners: the environment-friendly but pro-business Green Liberals. Thomas Widmer, chair of Swiss Politics at Zurich University, gave us some insight into the party—and said given that they’ve been present in Parliament for four years, they shouldn’t be such a mystery:
Monday, 24 October, 2011
One of Sunday’s big winners: the environment-friendly but pro-business Green Liberals. Thomas Widmer, chair of Swiss Politics at Zurich University, gave us some insight into the party—and said given that they’ve been present in Parliament for four years, they shouldn’t be such a mystery:
Ticino voters go for right wing alliance
Monday, 24 October, 2011
The right wing Swiss People’s Party may have lost ground in Sunday’s election, but South of the Alps in Ticino, 27 percent of voters supported the right wing Lega and the Ticinese section of the People’s Party. The two groups formed an alliance that served them well in this election. WRS’s Pete Forster turns to our Ticino correspondent Nicole della Pietra for details:
Monday, 24 October, 2011
The right wing Swiss People’s Party may have lost ground in Sunday’s election, but South of the Alps in Ticino, 27 percent of voters supported the right wing Lega and the Ticinese section of the People’s Party. The two groups formed an alliance that served them well in this election. WRS’s Pete Forster turns to our Ticino correspondent Nicole della Pietra for details:
