The Water Cooler
A refreshing gulp of reports and ramblings from policy-central.
Switzerland: anti-rational, anti-European rogue state?
Summary:Shearing sheepish political entrepreneurship
Has anyone been following the Swiss elections this week ?
Following a controversial campaign that included posters depicting three white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag, the Swiss People's Party has won some 26 percent of the vote amongst scathing international headlines.
Mobilizing rhetoric that seems to have captured the attention of a growing number of Swiss discomforted by their country's 20% immigrant population was that 80% of prisoners in Swiss jails are of immigrant heritage. Their campaign included a promise to extradite not only immigrants convicted of certain crimes, but also their families. It was also staunchly anti-EU -- for good.
Critics of the Swiss People's Party claim the number of immigrants in its jails is closer to 70% -- that, in a country with virtually no crime. They compare the policy of extraditing criminals' families to policies reminiscent of the German Third Reich.
European Studies academics claim that the Swiss People's Party populist appeal plucks heartstrings of a growing number of Europeans feeling reservations about Europe's growing immigrant population (need I remind anybody of Denmark's Muhammad cartoon 'crisis'?). Parties like these in numerous European countries claim to be divided from party politics, in the 'interest of representing people's true concerns'.
Could be, but data would have it that this little economic oasis in the heart of Europe, and Europe by and large, depends on immigrant labourers for all its lifely luxuries.
No less than 25% of the Swiss work force is foreign born.
Policy question of the day: How can policy makers reconcile popular, anti-rational emotions with socio-economic reality?
Following a controversial campaign that included posters depicting three white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag, the Swiss People's Party has won some 26 percent of the vote amongst scathing international headlines.
Mobilizing rhetoric that seems to have captured the attention of a growing number of Swiss discomforted by their country's 20% immigrant population was that 80% of prisoners in Swiss jails are of immigrant heritage. Their campaign included a promise to extradite not only immigrants convicted of certain crimes, but also their families. It was also staunchly anti-EU -- for good.
Critics of the Swiss People's Party claim the number of immigrants in its jails is closer to 70% -- that, in a country with virtually no crime. They compare the policy of extraditing criminals' families to policies reminiscent of the German Third Reich.
European Studies academics claim that the Swiss People's Party populist appeal plucks heartstrings of a growing number of Europeans feeling reservations about Europe's growing immigrant population (need I remind anybody of Denmark's Muhammad cartoon 'crisis'?). Parties like these in numerous European countries claim to be divided from party politics, in the 'interest of representing people's true concerns'.
Could be, but data would have it that this little economic oasis in the heart of Europe, and Europe by and large, depends on immigrant labourers for all its lifely luxuries.
No less than 25% of the Swiss work force is foreign born.
Policy question of the day: How can policy makers reconcile popular, anti-rational emotions with socio-economic reality?
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