Social issues

The sad truth behind the ePR hack – our health data is to fall into the wrong hands

by Norbert Häring*

(9 January 2025) The author clearly identifies the dangers that have proven to be unavoidable in Germany with the forced digitisation of highly sensitive patient data. The Swiss equivalent of the German “electronic patient record” (ePR), the “electronic patient dossier” (EPD), was based on the principle of “double voluntariness” in 2017: both the patient and the outpatient practitioner were free to open or maintain an EPD. It has been in place in inpatient facilities since 2020. The Swiss national parliament is now discussing whether to make it mandatory for all outpatient healthcare facilities. However, patients are still free to open an EPD – or not.

Sex education for babies and toddlers?

by Marita Brune-Koch

(9 January 2025) Kindergartens offer rooms for children to masturbate undisturbed. Such reports keep appearing in the press. The kindergartens did not come up with such methods of early sexualisation themselves. Rather, they are based on the WHO guidelines “Standards for Health Education in Europe”. According to these, parents and teachers should be encouraged to explore sexuality with children “from birth”.

“Power requires control”

Political party scientist Hans Herbert von Arnim takes stock – and explains why Switzerland is doing better

by Robert Seidel

(2 January 2025)The quarterly votes are a matter of course for the Swiss, they are part of everyday life. They are not only important in terms of content but are also an extremely valuable corrective against political solo efforts, cronyism and megalomania.

The German constitutional expert Hans Herbert von Arnim has spent decades investigating the problems in the German party state – and this is also of interest to Swiss readers.

Back to Gorbachev or the “new thinking” and the “common European home”

by Leo Ensel*

(20 December 2024) Even if Donald Trump should stop the war in Ukraine, under the given conditions we can at best expect a new Cold War for the next few decades. There will only be real peace in Europe when all the actors involved return to a European security order based on the principles of the “Charter of Paris”. Above all, this requires a fundamental change in thinking. The maxims were formulated long ago, and it is time to rediscover them.

Unresolved problems in dealing with nuclear energy

Facts, experiences and conclusions from Emil Brütsch*

by Ursula Cross

(20 December 2024) In the future, an ever-increasing share of our growing energy needs is to be covered by electricity. But where is the required energy going to come from? Dark and windless skies, energy fluctuations, a lack of electricity storage options, unresolved grid problems and security of supply, environmental issues and, last but not least, speculative prices caused by the stock market also raise justified doubts about so-called green technologies. A comprehensive analysis of all options, beyond ideology, is needed as a basis for long-term planning. This article takes a closer look at the unresolved issues surrounding nuclear energy.

‘It’s most important not to stand idly by’

Conscientious objector in Israel

by Oren Ziv*

(6 December 2024) (Ed.) After 7 October, many Israelis have given up hope of a political solution. There is an unprecedented desire for revenge in broad sections of society. Only a few have the courage to stand up to the social pressure. One of them is Sofia Orr, who refuses to do military service in the Israeli army out of political conviction.