On 18 June 2017 the citizens of Moutier, a small town in the heart of the Jura region in Switzerland, decide on the future of their city, whether to remain in the Canton of Berne or to leave and join the Canton of Jura. The referendum vote […]
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The Swiss Vote on introducing an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) on June 5, 2016. The intention behind this groundbreaking citizens’ initiative is less about proposing a solution to social problems (like fighting against inequality, helping the working poor …), rather it is an invitation to think about […]
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Question (7/7): In an era of centralized and partly anti-democratic decision-making in Europe, with an almost powerless European Parliament and obscure, undemocratic decision-making bodies like the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Troika, I believe that more and more pressure will be put on Swiss people to […]
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Question (6/7): I know that Swiss citizens regard their political system as an exception – and probably it is. But also, they were always looking inwards and avoided to “spread the good news” of direct democracy. I know, for example, that back in the 19th century politicians […]
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Question (4/7): Another argument against direct democracy is that wealthy lobbying groups can “buy” a positive referendum result with the use of advertisements, TV time etc. Is this true? Do you have any relevant examples from Switzerland? What kind of measures have you employed in Switzerland to […]
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Question (3/7): One of the most commonly used counterarguments in Greece against referendums [especially, the purest form of it, the referendums triggered by the people] and citizens’ initiatives is that the people are not “educated” and “mature” to properly vote in favor of the “right” option. It […]
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Question (1/7): You used the term ‘real democracy’ to describe direct democracy. Could you please briefly summarize the main characteristics of direct democracy that make it a real democratic system compared to other forms of democracy like pure representative parliamentarism – according to your opinion? Answer: Democracy […]
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