by Thomas Scherr*
(26 April 2024) A new understanding of independence and neutrality is settling like mildew over the Swiss media world and spreading among the population. In the following, this mildew will be removed with a few facts and some logic.
by Thomas Scherr*
(12 April 2024) Hardly noticed by the public, the Swiss government has brought the country dangerously close to the EU and NATO. The foreign policy situation concerning Switzerland has been coming to a head for several months now. As if by magic, the country is being drawn directly into a major geopolitical conflict, but hardly anyone is talking about it. Switzerland side by side with NATO and the EU in the next world war – how can the country regain its independence?
by Christian Campiche,* Lausanne
(22 March 2024) We can bet that the media, public service excepted, will not make this their headlines. This would be unfair because the announced agreement with India finally constitutes good news for the Swiss economy. It took no less than 16 years of tenacious negotiations for the painstaking work carried out by Swiss officials of the European Free Trade Association, EFTA, to bear fruit. “An important milestone for our country’s trade policy,” comments the Federal Department of Economic Affairs.
by Ralph Bosshard,* Switzerland
(22 March 2024) (Ed.) The divided world needs mediators – but only those who are neutral can be mediators. Switzerland should strengthen its neutrality not only to avoid being drawn into a war itself, but also to be able to play an active mediating role in serious conflicts between other countries! The world needs mediators!
by Ueli Gubler,* Engineer, Stettfurt, Switzerland
(16 March 2024) The “Energy Concept 2050” adopted in 2017 provides for the phasing out of nuclear energy and the abandonment of fossil fuels. In the Federal Council’s dispatch, the costs for a household of four were estimated at CHF 40 ($45) per year.
In June 2021, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga opened the referendum campaign on the CO2 Act with the remark that the energy transition would probably cost one hundred billion francs across Switzerland. That would be a total of CHF 48,000 per household for the conversion. It is to be feared that the federal government, and others as well, have no idea how great the technical costs of the energy transition will be.
by Ursula Cross
(16 February 2024) At the invitation of the “Switzerland-Palestine Society”,1 Yousef Aljamal, who grew up in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, spoke on 28 January 2024 about personal stories, stubborn Palestinians, people’s pride in their history and his hope in young people around the world.
“My stories are intended to make it easier for people to imagine life in an occupied territory”. With these words Dr Aljamal started his lecture.