“Only where political power is decentralised, democratically limited, and manageable can the free participation of individuals be guaranteed.”
(21 November 2025) (CH-S) It is not only the founding of the “Freedom of Speech Alliance” (www.buendnisredefreiheit.ch) for Switzerland and Germany that has attracted attention recently. In Zurich, another high-profile association has presented itself to the public, which also represents the concerns of citizens against increasingly intrusive statehood:
Ueli Maurer (former Federal Councillor, SVP), Thilo Sarrazin (former Finance Senator of Berlin, ex-SPD) and Hans Georg Maassen (former German President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) presented the “Leonhard Circle” to a wider public on 27 October.1 This is an urgently needed step against the creeping decline of civic spirit, the rule of law, and the desire for peace beyond Switzerland’s borders.