Following huge gains in the general election, Switzerland’s two green parties are lining themselves up for seats in the seven-member executive cabinet, according to the Sunday newspapers.
The Green and Liberal Green parties have found an unlikely ally in Christoph Blocher, a powerhouse figure in the right-wing People’s Party, says the SonntagszeitungExternal link. Blocher is advocating a seat at the high table for both parties, to replace one member of each the Social Democrats and Radical parties.
This would leave the People’s Party as the only political party with two cabinet seats. Such a plan would shake-up the “magic formula” that determines that the three most popular parties get two seats each, with one seat awarded to the next largest party (according to parliamentary seats).
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The Federal Council has seven seats, but how does Switzerland do the maths to reach that figure?
Social Democrat leader Christian Levrat has argued to the SonntagsBlickExternal link that the government should be expanded to nine members to allow participation from the green parties without seeing other parties lose out.
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What do Swiss political parties stand for?
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Right, left, centre…that’s how political parties are usually described. But where do they stand on the main themes dominating Swiss politics?
Some newspapers are reporting that the Greens are targeting Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis’s seat in cabinet. According to these articles, the Radical party member appears particularly vulnerable when parliament gets together later this year to decide on the composition of the new cabinet.
But this might upset voters in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland as Cassis is the sole representative from this area in cabinet.
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Regula Rytz, Green Party president, on whether her party’s historic gains in the parliamentary elections should result in a government seat.
Swiss village gets half a million amid rockfall threat as some residents resist evacuation
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The Swiss village of Brienz has been granted CHF500,000 due to a rockfall threat. But some residents are questioning the authorities’ evacuation orders.
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Starting Wednesday, Swiss researchers will have access to the European Research Council’s Proof of Concept Grants, said the European Commission.
Switzerland fined for denying asylum for gay Iranian
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Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
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A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
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The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
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A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
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In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
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Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
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Swiss elections: Landslide Green gains tip parliament to the left
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Green parties have made major gains at the expense of parties to the right and the left in elections to the Swiss parliament.
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Green, female and progressive were the headlines from this election. What does this historic vote mean for Switzerland going forward?
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Everything you need to know about the results of the Swiss parliamentary elections 2019. Explore results by party, region and historical trends.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.