The initiative would have prevented the nation from imposing sanctions unless approved by the UN.

The initiative would have prevented the nation from imposing sanctions unless approved by the UN.

The initiative would have prevented the nation from imposing sanctions unless approved by the UN.

Switzerland’s government should take a more active role in international peacebuilding after voters decisively rejected a proposal for stricter neutrality, Swisspeace director Laurent Goetschel told SRF. The result confirms the government’s approach to neutrality, which Goetschel said it has foll…

Geneva voters have approved free contraception with no age limit, prompting supporters to push for a nationwide scheme, SRF reports. The proposal won 58 percent support in Sunday’s vote. The Geneva initiative goes further than a measure recently approved in Neuchâtel, which would limit free contr…

Swiss voters rejected the neutrality initiative by 70.2 percent, with every canton voting no, SRF reported. The proposal to enshrine permanent, armed neutrality in the federal constitution was defeated. The result marked another setback for the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), whose initiatives on the…

Swiss voters rejected both the neutrality and food initiatives on September 27, prompting relief among most party leaders in a post-vote discussion on SRF. The clearest surprise was the scale of the opposition to the neutrality proposal. Swiss People’s Party president Marcel Dettling said the cam…

Vaud cantonal government member Valérie Dittli has left the Centre party over differences with its leadership, but such departures remain rare in Switzerland, SRF reports. Political geographer Michael Hermann said leaving a party carries major risks because a party base is important for electoral…

Only 10 of Switzerland’s 246 federal parliamentarians have a parent or other close predecessor who also served in the federal Parliament, according to SRF. That means just over 4% belong to a political dynasty. Having a father or mother who served in the National Council or Council of States can …

Valérie Dittli will seek re-election to the Vaud cantonal government next February despite opposition from her party leadership, SRF reported on Sunday. The Centre politician has not ruled out running as an independent if her party refuses to support her. Dittli announced her candidacy in an inte…

En cette journée internationale de l'hygiène menstruelle, je publie une nouvelle fois ce grand moment de vie parlementaire...Cet échange du 24 septembre 2024 montre bien le mépris de certain parlementaires pour la réalité des femmes et des personnes précaires. Et encore plus des femmes précaires 🤦‍♀️On lâche rien! Pour les droits sexuels et reproductifs, il y a des organisations comme @santesexuellesuisse qui s'engagent avec force et dont vous pouvez devenir membre.#léoimparlement #swisspolitics #feministetantquillefaudra #menstruationmattersView all 3,683 comments

The FDP and Swiss People’s Party are seeking to overtake the Centre as the strongest party in Zug’s cantonal parliament, SRF reported. The Centre currently leads by only one seat, with all three centre-right parties campaigning for greater influence in the October 4 elections. The Swiss People’s …

Swiss MPs Katja Stettler-Riem and Florence Brenzikofer have sharply different views on the state of equality for people with disabilities, SRF reported as the National Council considers an inclusion initiative and a proposed countermeasure. Stettler-Riem, a Swiss People’s Party MP, rates the curr…

A non-representative poll by SRF found that 92 percent of participants believe politicians, officials and civil servants should be held accountable over the F-35 fighter jet controversy. The SRF “dialog” community is also calling for a full investigation and, in some cases, an end to the purchase…

Switzerland’s parliament will closely scrutinise the federal government’s Verkehr ’45 rail and road expansion plan after a sharp assessment by the Swiss Federal Audit Office, SRF reports. The audit office said some of the plan’s calculations, including investment costs, were outdated in places an…

All seven members of the government of the canton of Zug are standing for re-election on October 4, SRF reports, leaving the Alternative the Greens, Social Democrats and Green Liberals facing a difficult challenge. The governing body currently consists of two Swiss People’s Party members, three C…

Zurich voters will decide on September 27 whether all hospitals and care homes in the canton must allow assisted suicide on their premises, SRF reports. Psychiatric hospitals and prisons would be exempt. Hospitals and private institutions can currently ban assisted suicide in their facilities. Th…

Swiss parties are divided over whether the EU treaty package should require approval by both voters and the cantons, SRF reported after a televised Arena debate ahead of the package’s discussion in the Council of States. The treaty text itself can no longer be changed, but the accompanying domest…

Switzerland should remain neutral, former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher and SP co-president Mattea Meyer agreed during an SRF Club debate, but they sharply disagreed over what that neutrality should mean. The debate focused less on whether Switzerland should remain neutral than on how neut…

Voters in the canton of Vaud will decide on September 27 whether to cut cantonal income and wealth taxes by 12 percent, SRF reported. Supporters say the measure would strengthen purchasing power, while the cantonal government, left-wing parties and trade unions warn of substantial revenue losses.…

Swiss politicians are divided over calls for a parliamentary investigation into the F-35 fighter jet procurement after a 95-page report raised questions about how the aircraft deal was presented to Parliament. SRF reported that the National Council’s Audit Committee, known as GPK-N, found that Sw…