Democracy at SWI swissinfo.ch

Welcome to SWI swissinfo.ch’s overview page for democracy.

Switzerland holds the most referendums in the world by far. SWI swissinfo.ch is dedicated to questions of democracy in Switzerland – which are of interest to the world – and global issues that are linked to Switzerland and its well-established democratic tradition.

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SWI swissinfo.ch is the ten-language public service platform for Switzerland from a global perspective. In 2015 SWI swissinfo.ch launched its own democracy section.

Much has shifted geopolitically since then. Fewer states stand on the pillars of democracy and the rule of law. The majority of the world’s population today is living in “flawed democracies” or “hybrid” systems. More than a third of the world’s population is living in dictatorships.

Meanwhile, in democratic states, scandals about the influence of international social media corporations on elections have triggered broad discussions on whether and how democracies can protect themselves from populist trends.

It is important to accompany the struggle for democracy journalistically. In parliaments, in everyday life, in protests, what “democracy” is supposed to mean is constantly being renegotiated and revived.

In the eight years since the launch of its democracy section, SWI swissinfo.ch has made a name for itself in reporting on democratic developments domestically and globally. We will continue to accompany democratic ideas and movements – in an independent, fair, balanced and critical way.

Voices of democracy in Mexico and Switzerland

Switzerland is an old hand at direct democracy, while Mexico is forging a new path to give more power to its people.

Switzerland must be able to build new nuclear power plants

Switzerland could build new nuclear power plants

This content was published on Dec 20, 2024 The Swiss government has opened up the possibility of new nuclear power plants in response to a people’s initiative.

Moldova: A small neutral country at the crossroads between the EU and Russia

Switzerland is committed to democracy education and the integration of Ukrainians in Moldova.

Federal Court rejects appeals on AHV vote

Swiss court refuses to annul vote raising women’s retirement age

This content was published on Dec 12, 2024 The Federal Supreme Court has rejected a bid to annul a vote that raised the age of retirement for women in Switzerland.

Popular initiatives: signature collection to be digitized

Senate in favour of digital signature collection for Swiss votes

This content was published on Dec 11, 2024 Signatures for popular initiatives and referendums could be collected via digital channels.

Max Schneeberger in the kitchen of the "Tilendieva" clubhouse in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Swiss entrepreneur Max Schneeberger pursues cultural mission in Almaty

This content was published on Dec 10, 2024 Since taking early retirement, the Swiss national has made a new career giving a boost to democracy in his adopted country of Kazakhstan.

Are direct democracies more vulnerable to disinformation?

The wave of disinformation is expected to particularly affect direct democracies such as Switzerland or many US states.

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Dec 5, 2024

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Seven ways the ECHR has shaped Swiss law over the years

This content was published on Nov 28, 2024 From surname rules to asbestos claims, the European Court on Human Rights has rapped Switzerland’s knuckles some 140 times since 1974.

view into the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

Happy anniversary? Switzerland marks 50 years at the ECHR

This content was published on Nov 28, 2024 Half a century after Swiss ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights, the treaty is under pressure across the continent.

How Irish pop star Bambie Thug became the face of a Swiss referendum on Eurovision

This content was published on Nov 24, 2024 While choosing the host city was an incredibly slow process, a referendum to reverse the decision moved at double speed.

Freeway for a hotel complex with marina in Isleten (UR)

Uri voters clear path for hotel and marina complex in central Switzerland

This content was published on Nov 24, 2024 Voters in canton Uri in central Switzerland have rejected a Green Party initiative aimed at regulating the development of the lakeside site in Isleten.

Freedom of Expression

Man pulling plants on plastic sheet through street

Freedom of expression at the ballot box: the Swiss case

This content was published on Jul 1, 2021 What role does modern direct democracy play in ensuring citizens are heard? The Swiss experience offers various lessons.

Gender-neutral language: an issue for the ballot box?

This content was published on Jun 1, 2021 As more public and private media try to communicate gender neutrally, some say it’s a distraction from real issues. How can you legislate on language?

String of people holding up several pages of signatures they raised for their petition.

Petitions: seemingly toothless yet fundamental

This content was published on May 20, 2021 Not linked to any legally binding commitments, petitions seem to have a paper tiger reputation. So why are people submitting and signing them?

‘Humour over rumour’: lessons from Taiwan in digital democracy

This content was published on May 7, 2021 Audrey Tang, the digital minister of Taiwan, talks about “antisocial” media and new democratic competencies.

When white collar criminals try to silence the press

This content was published on May 6, 2021 In Switzerland, as in the rest of Europe and the US, attempts to pressure and censor a financially fragile media are increasing.

Freedom of expression: universal, but not absolute

This content was published on May 6, 2021 Under threat in many countries and pushed to its limits elsewhere, freedom of expression as we know it is at a critical crossroads.

Switzerland ticks differently with social media laws

This content was published on May 6, 2021 Fake news, conspiracy theories, censorship: the reputation of social media seems at an all-time low. Can it ever be a boon for democracy again?

Governing the Internet from Rousseau’s hometown

This content was published on Apr 27, 2021 If the internet is going to serve democracy around the world, it needs to have its own global government – in Geneva

Who gets to control the freedom of expression?

This content was published on Feb 8, 2021 Democracy vs the Tech Giants: debates have flared after the tumultuous transfer of power in the US in January.

Marietje Schaake is the president of the Cyber Peace Institute in Geneva

Cyber expert warns of dangers of unregulated social media

This content was published on Jan 22, 2021 Marietje Schaake, president of the Cyber Peace Institute, talks to SWI swissinfo.ch about the unprecedented challenges in our digital era.

Democracy inclusion

Kinder im Kipa Luzern halten bei einer Abstimmung grüne Karten hoch, die Ja bedeuten

How young parliamentarians are making a Swiss city more child-friendly

This content was published on Mar 21, 2023 In Lucerne, kids are getting involved politically – and they do it as well as grown-ups. SWI swissinfo.ch visits the children’s parliament.

Children with ballot papers and and a ballot box

How children can contribute to build better democracies

This content was published on Sep 24, 2022 Shortcomings of participative democracy: An international panel in the Swiss city of Lucerne puts the spotlight on the youngest members of society.

Die Schweizerin und Italienerin Zaira Esposito lehnt sich auf eine Bank.

How one woman is trying to give foreigners a political voice in Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 15, 2022 International Day of Democracy: Zaira Esposito helps organise parliamentary sessions for foreigners.

Time to rethink citizenship access in Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 15, 2022 International Day of Democracy: Radical-Liberal politician Përparim Avdili wants easier citizenship access and voting rights for foreigners.

Political rights are not a tool for social inclusion

This content was published on Sep 5, 2022 A young politician argues that political rights should only belong to Swiss citizens.

Männer demonstrieren mit Transparenten in der Stadt

Seasonal workers inspired Swiss ‘Together’ movement

This content was published on Aug 26, 2022 The “seasonal worker” status was deliberately precarious in Switzerland. Solidarity came from the political left.

How true inclusion can reinforce democracy against crises and conflicts

This content was published on Aug 17, 2022 As democracy around the world faces growing challenges, activists and experts say one way to make it more robust is to include more voices.

How do we save democracy?

Democracy is facing its biggest crisis since World War 2. How can we make it more robust?

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Oct 19, 2022

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Global Voices of Freedom

Exiled journalist Can Dündar: ‘Turkey’s at a new crossroads’

This content was published on Mar 13, 2023 In exile in Germany, Turkish journalist Can Dündar is committed to the democratic future of his homeland.

Wang Zhian: China’s democratic voice

This content was published on Jan 10, 2023 Journalism is dead inside China, says Chinese investigative journalist Wang Zhian.

Freedom of speech ‘doesn’t exist’ in Venezuela

This content was published on Nov 30, 2022 Venezuelan journalist Carlos Omobono used to be a TV star in his homeland. Today he continues to make his voice heard in exile in Italy.

The risks of reporting on the Roman Mafia

This content was published on Oct 18, 2022 For journalists covering the dark side of today’s Italy, the EU state remains a dangerous place, says reporter Federica Angeli.

‘When the media is killed, society loses’

This content was published on Sep 22, 2022 Earlier this year Joel Vera was forced to shut down his online news portal in Mexico after two colleagues were murdered.

Global Forum for Democracy 2022 – voices for freedom in Lucerne

This content was published on Sep 23, 2022 Participants at the 10th Global Forum for Modern Direct Democracy on how democracies could be strengthened and made more democratic.

Russia has passed ‘100 new laws’ restricting press freedom

This content was published on Jul 4, 2022 Galina Timchenko, the Russian-Ukrainian editor-in-chief of meduza.io, still writes about what Russian media can no longer publish due to censorship.

homme portant un masque dans son bureau devant un ordinateur

Paolo Berizzi, an Italian journalist living under 24-hour police protection

This content was published on Jun 3, 2022 Paolo Berizzi of La Repubblica newspaper has been under round-the-clock police protection for three years.

When a journalist refuses to become a billionaire’s press officer

This content was published on Dec 16, 2021 Inside Ukraine, a struggle is ongoing for the freedom of the press, as our latest “Voice of Freedom” tells us in Kyiv.

‘Freedom of expression is under pressure even in Switzerland’

This content was published on Dec 6, 2021 Investigative journalist Marie Maurisse warns about attempts by the powerful to stop the publication of compromising information.

External Content

Swiss democracy hotspots with Claude Longchamp

How exclusion became the driving force for democratisation

This content was published on Sep 13, 2022 Geneva is a pioneer for giving people with severe mental or physical disabilities the right to vote.

Frau, die im Parlamentssaal voller Männer vereidigt wird.

Gender discrimination: the first Swiss woman in cantonal parliament

This content was published on Aug 16, 2022 The first woman in Switzerland ever to be elected to a cantonal parliament was Raymonde Schweizer.

How a strike threat reshaped Swiss democracy

This content was published on Jul 19, 2022 The general strike called in Olten in 1918 was like an earthquake for Swiss politics.

How popular votes made Switzerland a global democracy leader

This content was published on Jun 24, 2022 The latest in our ‘Swiss democracy hotspots’ series: Schaffhausen, a canton with an almost unbelievable voting record.

Stadtwanderer Claude Longchamp in Bern vor dem Hotel Äusserer Stand

The Swiss constitution – a mix of democracy and federalism

This content was published on Jun 10, 2022 The first version of the Swiss constitution was a breakthrough on the road to democratisation. But it was far from perfect.

How canton Ticino became a democracy pioneer in Europe

This content was published on Apr 28, 2022 Canton Ticino is today a popular tourist destination. Back in July 1830 it was the scene of the first liberal revolution in Europe.

The birth of modern democracy in the heart of Europe

This content was published on Mar 28, 2022 The “Swiss Revolution” brought democracy to Switzerland. It was an uprising against the aristocracy – and the beginning of a long journey.

Seasonal workers inspired Swiss ‘Together’ movement

This content was published on Aug 26, 2022 The “seasonal worker” status was deliberately precarious in Switzerland. Solidarity came from the political left.

How true inclusion can reinforce democracy against crises and conflicts

This content was published on Aug 17, 2022 As democracy around the world faces growing challenges, activists and experts say one way to make it more robust is to include more voices.