On the first day of January, Bern’s newly elected mayor stepped into her job. Her name is Marieke Kruit, and she is the first woman to be in charge of the city since the last Duke of Zähringer founded it in 1191, one hundred years before the Swiss Confederation came into being. Our new mayorContinue reading “An 834-Year Wait”
Category Archives: Government
How Much Freedom Is Too Much?
Switzerland’s equivalent of the Fourth of July is August 1; it commemorates a thirteenth-century pact of mutual defense against the Habsburg army among three future Swiss cantons. (See an earlier post about Switzerland’s Independence Day: https://wordpress.com/post/kimhaysbern.com/561). Like the Fourth of July, August 1 has traditionally involved parades and speeches, bonfires on hilltops, outdoor suppers, andContinue reading “How Much Freedom Is Too Much?”
“Please, Sir, We Want Some More”
On March 3, almost 60% of Swiss voters said yes to an initiative proposing that people aged sixty-five and over should receive an extra month’s social security payment every year for the rest of their lives. As a result, starting in 2026, Switzerland’s 2,500,000 retirees will get between $1400 and $2800 more a year, whetherContinue reading ““Please, Sir, We Want Some More””
Kim Hays 