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S U B S C R I B E
WRS stories about “CH votes”
Animal lawyer vote met with suspicion by Valais farmers
Wednesday, 17 February, 2010
The animal lawyers initiative is one of the items on the March 7 ballot that’s gotten the most attention up to now. It would require cantons to assign a lawyer to represent the interests of animals in criminal cases. Earlier this week, we heard from the country’s only animal lawyer in Zurich. Today, we visit the largely rural canton of Valais, where animal rights are seen through a very different lens. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Wednesday, 17 February, 2010
The animal lawyers initiative is one of the items on the March 7 ballot that’s gotten the most attention up to now. It would require cantons to assign a lawyer to represent the interests of animals in criminal cases. Earlier this week, we heard from the country’s only animal lawyer in Zurich. Today, we visit the largely rural canton of Valais, where animal rights are seen through a very different lens. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Voters will be final jury in animal lawyer debate
Monday, 15 February, 2010
Next month voters are going to decide whether or not to require cantons to give animals a lawyer. Zurich was the first canton to create an animal defender back in 1992—and remains the only canton to have done so. In fact it’s the only such post in the world. And it could be a model for other cantons to follow if voters approve the initiative March 7. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Monday, 15 February, 2010
Next month voters are going to decide whether or not to require cantons to give animals a lawyer. Zurich was the first canton to create an animal defender back in 1992—and remains the only canton to have done so. In fact it’s the only such post in the world. And it could be a model for other cantons to follow if voters approve the initiative March 7. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Tuesday, 8 December, 2009
The vote isn’t until March 7, but competing campaigns over the “second pillar” of that Swiss pension fund you pay into every month are already heating up. The government and business groups are urging a “yes” vote to a technical change to the pension system that will mean lower payouts. And they’re trying to find any number of colorful ways to illustrate a dull—and potentially unpopular—measure. WRS’s Jordan Davis has the story from Bern:
Sunday, 29 November, 2009
A strong majority—57.5 percent—of voters accepted the initiative Sunday to ban the construction of new minarets, a result that has sent shockwaves across the Swiss political landscape. The government and major political parties, with the notable exception of the Swiss People’s Party, had called for voters to reject the measure. WRS’s Jordan Davis reports:
Big ticket items on cantonal ballots this weekend
Friday, 27 November, 2009
This Sunday voters across the country will decide whether to ban minarets and whether to ban weapons exports. But there are a host of local and cantonal issues voters will be asked their opinion on. Cantonal issues drawing attention include a commuter rail line for Geneva and the future of the Muhleberg nuclear power plant in Bern. WRS’s Mark Butcher gets an update from our Jordan Davis in Bern, starting with that rail line in Geneva, the CEVA:
Friday, 27 November, 2009
This Sunday voters across the country will decide whether to ban minarets and whether to ban weapons exports. But there are a host of local and cantonal issues voters will be asked their opinion on. Cantonal issues drawing attention include a commuter rail line for Geneva and the future of the Muhleberg nuclear power plant in Bern. WRS’s Mark Butcher gets an update from our Jordan Davis in Bern, starting with that rail line in Geneva, the CEVA:
Women, women's rights will sway upcoming elections
Thursday, 19 November, 2009
Last-minute campaigning is heating up ahead of the controversial November 29 votes on minarets and arms exports. Poll numbers out this week show that the anti-minaret referendum in particular could come down to the wire. WRS’s Conor Lennon speaks to our political beat reporter Jordan Davis to get the latest:
Thursday, 19 November, 2009
Last-minute campaigning is heating up ahead of the controversial November 29 votes on minarets and arms exports. Poll numbers out this week show that the anti-minaret referendum in particular could come down to the wire. WRS’s Conor Lennon speaks to our political beat reporter Jordan Davis to get the latest:
Poll: Majority says 'no' to minaret ban, but trend is 'yes'
Thursday, 19 November, 2009
Party presidents and government leaders have been multiplying their final appeals for a “no” vote later this month on the initiative to ban minarets. A new Swiss broadcasting poll shows they have reason for concern. A majority—53 percent—says it’ll reject the initiative on Nov 29. But the survey also finds that arguments for a ban remain seductive. WRS’s Jordan Davis asked Claude Longchamp from the GFS Bern polling institute to explain the results:
Thursday, 19 November, 2009
Party presidents and government leaders have been multiplying their final appeals for a “no” vote later this month on the initiative to ban minarets. A new Swiss broadcasting poll shows they have reason for concern. A majority—53 percent—says it’ll reject the initiative on Nov 29. But the survey also finds that arguments for a ban remain seductive. WRS’s Jordan Davis asked Claude Longchamp from the GFS Bern polling institute to explain the results:
At heart of minaret vote: fear of the unknown
Thursday, 5 November, 2009
The BBC’s Imogen Foulkes looks at the upcoming nationwide vote on banning the construction of minarets and finds that Islam in Switzerland remains a rather inconspicuous faith—which might be both a symptom and a cause of the underlying problem:
Thursday, 5 November, 2009
The BBC’s Imogen Foulkes looks at the upcoming nationwide vote on banning the construction of minarets and finds that Islam in Switzerland remains a rather inconspicuous faith—which might be both a symptom and a cause of the underlying problem:
Debate flares as weapons exports vote draws closer
Wednesday, 4 November, 2009
In just under a month, Swiss citizens will once again vote on arms exports. A bombing in Darfur involving Swiss-made aircraft nearly a year ago rekindled anger among anti-arms activists, who succeeded in launching another initiative for a total ban on exporting weapons. But each of their four previous attempts failed. So far, fear of job losses seems to have trumped fear of a bad conscience, each time assuaged by a further tightening of export rules. So are we headed for round five, or is this time as different as the anti-arms lobby seems to think? Lucas Chambers has the story.
Wednesday, 4 November, 2009
In just under a month, Swiss citizens will once again vote on arms exports. A bombing in Darfur involving Swiss-made aircraft nearly a year ago rekindled anger among anti-arms activists, who succeeded in launching another initiative for a total ban on exporting weapons. But each of their four previous attempts failed. So far, fear of job losses seems to have trumped fear of a bad conscience, each time assuaged by a further tightening of export rules. So are we headed for round five, or is this time as different as the anti-arms lobby seems to think? Lucas Chambers has the story.
Geneva political shake-up reveals cross-border bias
Monday, 12 October, 2009
Fear of cross-border workers was the big winner in Geneva cantonal elections over the weekend. The populist Geneva Citizen’s Movement party won nearly 15 percent of votes on their campaign against cross-border workers. Meanwhile the Greens are now the largest left wing party, gaining votes while Social Democrats lost them. WRS’s Mischler Mischler speaks with our reporter Jordan Davis to tell us what all this means.
Monday, 12 October, 2009
Fear of cross-border workers was the big winner in Geneva cantonal elections over the weekend. The populist Geneva Citizen’s Movement party won nearly 15 percent of votes on their campaign against cross-border workers. Meanwhile the Greens are now the largest left wing party, gaining votes while Social Democrats lost them. WRS’s Mischler Mischler speaks with our reporter Jordan Davis to tell us what all this means.
Thursday, 9 April, 2009
Next month Swiss voters head to the polls to give their say on two items on the national ballot. According to a poll conducted by GFS Bern for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, voters overwhelmingly support a constitutional amendment favoring holistic medicines. But they remain somewhat wary of the government’s plan to issue biometric passports. Pollster Claude Longchamp told WRS’s Jordan Davis that support for biometric passports is less than the government would probably like.
Monday, 9 February, 2009
Switzerland’s agreement on Free Movement of People with the EU will continue. Just shy of 60 percent of Swiss voters voted Sunday to keep the country’s borders open to European workers. Support for the “yes” vote was significantly higher than anyone expected. But what did those surprising results mean? WRS’s Jordan Davis sampled reactions across the political spectrum in Bern.
Friday, 6 February, 2009
Sunday, Swiss voters will decide on whether they want to renew the Free Movement of People accord with the European Union, the agreement which opens the Swiss labor market to EU nationals. In the city of Le Locle, a third of industrial jobs are occupied by French who live just across the border. The Neuchâtel mountains are a major hub for watchmaking and manufacturing. And not everybody’s happy about the Gallic invasion. WRS’s Jordan Davis takes us on a visit.
