Politics in Switzerland, Elections on June 9th

NEIN to the Volskswahl des Bundesrates

Why not let the people decide the Federal Council? The Swiss system works just fine. As a foreigner, whose vote is one of –roughly— fifty millions I can tell you: I’m not politically represented. In contrast, in Switzerland there are seven Presidents elected indirectly by the people’s representatives. The Swiss Bundesrat acts as a sort of Council of the Wise and therefore the country does not suffer an abrupt turn of the rudder every 4 or 6 years, according to the party in power. This system also removes in great measure the risk of being misrepresented. I believe the reform aims to exactly do so: to profit from the dominant opinion and impose it nationwide.

I once wrote an essay (an award winning essay, if I may brag a little) where I stated that the fittest people to rule are not those who invest their time into convincing people, but the people who invest their time in governing. People who do not waste resources in charisma and fake smiles but people who devote every brain-cell to do their jobs.

NEIN to the Dringliche Änderungen des Asylgesetzes

Why not change the revision of the asylum law? Because they call it “make the procedure faster” what they meant is: “make the procedure easier to turn down”. With this reform the processes will indeed be faster: mostly negative. If one flees a war or a brutal dictator one may not ask for asylum anymore: it will be denied (the definition of person in seek of asylum would be changed).

Also because it removes Swiss embassies from the places where someone may ask for political asylum. In this way only people wealthy enough to physically come to Switzerland may ask for protection.

I am thankful of not needing political asylum but if I ever need it I hope not to have it denied. One of the finest politicians (and persons) I know, Monsieur Osvaldo Núñez was once in the need to flee the dictator ruling his country. He became a deputy on the House of Commons on Canada. Why do conservatives only see the “rotten apples” and try to judge everyone with the same standard. Switzerland can also profit from helping people and perhaps return a little of what has been given.