Friday, October 09, 2015

Non hysterical elections

We are electing a new Swiss government and thankfully the process only lasts a few weeks.

Our parliament is set up like Congress, a house and a senate. There are seven cabinet members divided among the many main parties and few minor ones. Each year there is a new president, rotating thru the cabinet, sometimes called the seven dwarfs.

Since my arrival in Switzerland in 1990, the political situation has evolved...less consensus but it doesn't have 1% of the craziness I see in the US elections.

Sure the UDC, the far right group, will push fears about immigration and some of the other topics that should be looked at are pushed into the background. And maybe the truth is stretched a bit on some subjects, but the hysteria is missing.

As a Swiss, I look at all the posters (see below) in all the villages and many areas of the city. I read articles as in the magazine above.

My ballot has been mailed to me. I need to get it back by the 18th. Choice 2 would be to take it up in person.

Women fought in this country and others so I can vote. The Swiss granted me nationality. As a responsible citizen I will study the candidates and select my list as a responsible citizen and in thanks to those that made is possible for me.

It takes time. Sometimes I fight with the French to make sure I understand. I need to double check other things on the Internet, search out deeper history.

It is worth it to live in a democracy, one far from perfect, but that works more than it doesn't. To keep we must do our part to preserve and one of those things is to vote.

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