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“ . . Cast the First Stone”

After the 9 February referendum, one observation has become more common than ever, at home and abroad, from the Swiss themselves and from foreigners: Switzerland is cutting itself off. What’s true is...

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Proud of Switzerland?

Pride – a permanent feature in the Worry Barometer survey – is often done an injustice. It is, by itself, a noble emotion, not at all blind to weaknesses. However, the term is frequently used...

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The SNB Shows Its Independence

The foreign and domestic shock triggered by the SNB’s decision to abandon the currency floor will have a negative initial impact across the Swiss economy. But, from experience, it may eventually come...

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Hurdles on the Way to Ecological Tax Reform

The fundamental logic behind reforming tax on ecological principles is as simple as it is alluring: because polluters only pay for the direct costs of their actions and ignore the wider impact on...

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Radical Cure Proposed for Lack Of Political Volunteers

The 200-page booklet  by Avenir Suisse paints a stark picture of reality in Switzerland’s more than 2,300 communes and 26 cantons, culled from available figures. Volunteering for political office at a...

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No Over-Rigid Labour Market Rules for the Elderly

Contrary to current opinion, the unemployment rate in Switzerland for people aged 55 or over is lower than for younger workers. It stands at 3.3%, compared with 4.9% for 25-39 year olds. Put another...

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We Must Stick To Our Principles

In its May 9, 2015 edition, The Economist fired something of a broadside against the economic model that has dominated Germany and Switzerland since the Second World War. So called Ordoliberalism...

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Free Choice of Schools Raises Educational Standards

Hardly any other developed country offers parents and pupils so little choice in public sector education as Switzerland. Seldom are there alternatives to the local village or city district school. In a...

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Learning Switzerland  

Switzerland is in the throes of a bizarre debate. People aren’t discussing the future, but bickering over a historical portrayal whose core should be Swiss exceptionalism. What’s missing, it seems, is...

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Consumers as Winners

When talk turns to the benefits to Switzerland of the bilateral treaties with the EU, Swiss exports are usually the focal point. Without the bilaterals, it is said, access to the EU market would have...

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For a Toll Tunnel at the Gotthard

After the Swiss referendum of 28 February backing a second Gotthard road tunnel, attention will now shift to defining the framework for building and operating it. One critical idea to be considered is...

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An Unconditional Basic Income Is Unconditionally Unrealistic

The referendum “For an Unconditional Basic Income” never had a dog’s chance of passing. The attempt to shake up the welfare state – at a time, moreover, of little patience for experiments – was bound...

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Au revoir Early French

What holds Switzerland together? Based on the latest debate about foreign languages in primary schools, the only conclusion is that it’s the teaching of a second national language before secondary...

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Commuters Must Learn What Mobility Costs

Even Walter Wobmann, the SVP member of parliament behind the recent referendum to divert more resources to roads, doubts the value of mobility pricing. “It won’t lead to fewer jams”, he says. It’s...

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Billions in Public Money Wasted on Loss Making Power Stakes

Everyone knows how the value of Swiss electricity producers has crashed in recent years. Developments on the international market have turned former public sector cash cows into risky assets. But what...

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“Baden-Württemberg Is just as Important to Us as China Is”

Simon Brunner: For many years, respondents to the Credit Suisse Worry Barometer survey have cited unemployment as their top concern. Why is that? Peter Grünenfelder: The Swiss have a strong work ethic....

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Switzerland’s Global Innovation Spirit

At 1848 the Netherlands and Great Britain were at least twice as wealthy as Switzerland. It was only after the Second World War that Switzerland had the second highest GDP per capita worldwide. Much of...

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Combining Efforts for Switzerland’s Higher Education System

The introduction of vocational school-leaving certificates, and then the polytechnics (or “University of Applied Sciences”, German: Fachhochschulen), was of great importance for Switzerland’s higher...

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Energy Policy: Monopolies Harm Consumers

The dual role of the state as a regulator and participant in the energy market contributes to a complex understanding of Switzerland’s energy needs. Large electricity consumers can choose their...

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Is Canola Oil a Factor in Switzerland’s Economic Growth ?

In February, government officials and the public were relieved to find that European countries were back on the track towards economic growth. The growth rate is expected to be 1.6% in 2017, and it is...

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