Anouck Saugy, president of the Femmes PLR du canton de Vaud, refused to attend the feminist strike last June. Once united around a common cause, this movement has become, in her view, a divisive force.
The British Labour Party won last July's election thanks to the support of an electorate committed to a restrictive migration policy. However, it remains to be seen whether Labour will be able to deliver on its promises in this area.
In this article, Nabil Djarfi describes the French government regime as «the capitulation of the critical spirit to the partisan principle». He regrets that clan logic prevails over facts and arguments.
In countries where the state is underdeveloped, volunteer civic engagement is flourishing, as shown by this report from 2019 in a Burmese emergency service, among section chiefs in Sierra Leone and in the search for missing persons in Belarus.
The shortcomings of the militia principle enshrined in Swiss DNA would be even more pronounced in a more professionalized system.
The association is a remedy for the inward-looking nature of democratic regimes, where the dependence on others that prevailed in feudal regimes has been eroded. It also enables its members to commit themselves beyond their personal interests, without having to go through the State.
The militia system is criticized far and wide. However, its critics miss its own logic, which, along with federalism and direct democracy, contributes to the institutional construction of Switzerland, and thus to the country's identity.
Paid signature-gathering has the disadvantage of favoring those with the most resources. However, banning this practice would have even worse consequences, further distancing Swiss-style direct democracy from its original spirit.
Australia has no hesitation in supporting the efforts of the United States and its allies to combat the rise of China, despite the fact that it is its leading economic partner. This de facto dependence limits Canberra's strategic room for manoeuvre.
French 
German 
English