now we are Swiss we finally get to vote. This I find a huge boost after living here 19 years. Today the papers arrived for the vote at the end of the month. We have 3 national motions that require decisions, 2 of which are really contentious. The most contentious, and probably the one most widely pubicised is the initiative to ban the building of Minarettes, which are the towers attached to mosques. This is a right wing initiative by the SVP, the so called Peoples party, who are so energetic in trying to kick foreigners out of the country. They are so insular, it is incredible. The posters, which have been banned in a lot of cities, showed lots of black Minarettes on Swiss land like rockets, with a black clocked person in front of them. Totally crazy and rascist, but it got them lots of free publicity.
I will definately be voting against that motion. We are a country with religious freedom, and no way can such discrimination and fear mongering be allowed to win. They will lose this one, the majority of Swiss are against it.
The second one, nearly as contentious, is to ban all export of swiss made military weapons and ammunition. The pros are touting that as a neutral country we cannot profit from wars in other countries. The cons are talking about loss of jobs. It is a difficult one, as it will make little difference in the world, but a world of difference in Switzerland. Those against the initiative happen to be mainly the ones in favour of the first one, but with some other parties supporting them.
And the third is whether to use the tax on aviation fuel to finance air traffic rather than what it is currently used for which is road traffic measures and general stuff. Not sure what the advantages are in a special fund, will have to read the papers, but I do wonder how they will replace the funds, it must lead to higher tax somewhere.

And then there are the local councillors to elect, and local, means our village. So lots to read.
Last vote, our papers never got to us, even though they had set off, which was strange. This time only I have received them, and not my husband. His must still be on the way.
Maybe they send them via the UK ;)

more info on http://www.swissinfo.ch/ in English even, plus you can see that terrible poster. It is reminisent of the black crows one they did stealing swiss passports, and the white sheep kicking out the black one when they were trying to get rid of criminal foreigners easier. All those inititives they lost.