A warm welcome!

You have our trilingual online publication in front of you. We hope you will take your time to read it and recommend us further. We are happy to inform you about new publications with our newsletter.

Has neoliberalism eliminated liberalism?

by Suzette Sandoz,* Pully/Lausanne

(25 January 2024) (Ed.) On 5 December 2023, as part of the “Liberal Institute Freedom Festival” in Zurich, the presentation of the “Röpke Prize” to Professor Suzette Sandoz took place.

In her speech which we document below, Suzette Sandoz asks whether neoliberalism has eliminated liberalism. Her answer is: “almost”. According to her, neoliberalism is an economic doctrine aimed at dominating the world, far away from the humanist philosophy of liberalism. Its consequence being that in a neoliberal system, the economy no longer serves mankind, as envisaged by classical liberal philosophy, but mankind serves the economy, as a resource to be exploited as much as possible, without having to worry about social aspects.

The World Economic Forum and the world “elite”

by Wolfgang Bittner,* Germany

(25 January 2024) (Edit.) Is the WEF really a combination of capitalist consultancy firm and gigantic lobby? From 15 to 19 January, another meeting of the highly influential World Economic Forum (WEF) took place in Davos, attended by more than 2,800 participants, including over 60 heads of state and government. This time the motto was “Rebuilding Trust”. Author Wolfgang Bittner takes a dissecting look at this construction and its efforts to create a globalised, private-law, non-democratic world order.

Call from Left and Green Supporters: Yes to the Neutrality Initiative!

In Support of the People’s Initiative “Preservation of Swiss Neutrality”

by Pascal Lottaz*

(18 January 2024) A group of engaged citizens in Switzerland has started the process for a political initiative with the goal of writing a definition of the country’s signature foreign policy into its constitution. If the initiative is signed by 100’000 eligible voters by May 2024, this will lead to a mandatory referendum in a few years’ time. Although the effort is being supported by voters and activists from all parts of the country’s political spectrum, media reports tend to call the initiative “right wing”. In an effort to counter this narrative, we are publishing a letter of support from left- and green-voting citizens to demonstrate that there are many left-wing arguments to support this important political idea.

ICJ complaint by South Africa

Genocide in Gaza

by John J. Mearsheimer,* USA

(18 January 2024) (Ed.) South Africa has filed a lawsuit against Israel for genocide against the Palestinians at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The renowned political scientist from the USA, John J. Mearsheimer, clearly explains the content of this document and its significance, in particular the likely impact on the United States.
PISA results

Finland’s PISA-crash is a wake-up call for Swiss education policy

by Carl Bossard,* Switzerland

(18 January 2024) “Can you buy Finnish schools?” an education expert from the Middle East is said to have asked. After the first PISA assessment, he too made a pilgrimage to the promised land of the world’s best schools – with the intention of copying and pasting. Such educational trips were made possible by the PISA rankings.

The “Programme for International Student Assessment” (PISA) compares the ability of 15-year-old students in the subjects of reading, mathematics, and science. The results are recorded on a points scale and categorised into competence levels.

India-Russia ties get a makeover

by M. K. Bhadrakumar,* India

(11 January 2024) The visit by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Russia on December 24–29 presented an extraordinary spectacle reminiscent of the halcyon days of Indo-Soviet relations.

There was an unnameable ecstasy in Jaishankar’s words on Russian soil. He even took a walk on the Red Square in the middle of Russian winter. But the minister is anything but a sentimental diplomat, who can handle emotions not necessarily as encumbrance but turning them instead into great optics.