Hope you all get to spend the holidays with your loved ones! I'll try to post again before the new year, but I'm not making any promises;).
Love,
Aena
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Hope you all get to spend the holidays with your loved ones! I'll try to post again before the new year, but I'm not making any promises;).
Love,
Aena
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Oh My God, They Killed Kenny Blocher!
Well, yesterday something happened in Switzerland that almost never happens. One of the seven Bundesräte (our ministers, together they are our executive body), Christoph Blocher, was not confirmed by our parliament, instead someone else from his party, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, got elected. I, for one, did not see that one coming at. all. Seriously.
The last time an acting Bundesrat was not confirmed was four years ago, when Blocher got elected and Ruth Metzler (CVP) had to give up her seat to him. The reason at the time was, that the SVP, being the party with the most popular votes, demanded a second seat in the Bundesrat to reflect their strength. Ruth Metzler not being confirmed had little to do with Ruth Metzler. Christoph Blocher not being confirmed yesterday had everything to do with Christoph Blocher.
Anyway, the SVP pressured Mrs. Widmer-Schlumpf not to accept the election. She did anyway, which apparently came to no surprise to the parties who voted for her - CVP, SP and the Green Party.
I'm not sure what to think yet. Mrs. Widmer-Schlumpf seems like a smart and competent woman and it's nice to finally have three women (plus the chancellor) in our Bundesrat, for the first time ever I might add. On the other hand I'm not sure whether the parties who voted for her instead of Blocher really did themselves a favour in the long term. Blocher is brilliant at rallying voters around him and he'll have much more time and energy to do just that now that he is a self-proclaimed Opposition Leader (the current SVP-Bundesräte Schmid and Widmer-Schlumpf will no longer be supported by their party). They may lose more than they've won in the long term...
One thing I'm sure of: Swiss politics will be quite intriguing in the months/years to come (at least to me).
The last time an acting Bundesrat was not confirmed was four years ago, when Blocher got elected and Ruth Metzler (CVP) had to give up her seat to him. The reason at the time was, that the SVP, being the party with the most popular votes, demanded a second seat in the Bundesrat to reflect their strength. Ruth Metzler not being confirmed had little to do with Ruth Metzler. Christoph Blocher not being confirmed yesterday had everything to do with Christoph Blocher.
Anyway, the SVP pressured Mrs. Widmer-Schlumpf not to accept the election. She did anyway, which apparently came to no surprise to the parties who voted for her - CVP, SP and the Green Party.
I'm not sure what to think yet. Mrs. Widmer-Schlumpf seems like a smart and competent woman and it's nice to finally have three women (plus the chancellor) in our Bundesrat, for the first time ever I might add. On the other hand I'm not sure whether the parties who voted for her instead of Blocher really did themselves a favour in the long term. Blocher is brilliant at rallying voters around him and he'll have much more time and energy to do just that now that he is a self-proclaimed Opposition Leader (the current SVP-Bundesräte Schmid and Widmer-Schlumpf will no longer be supported by their party). They may lose more than they've won in the long term...
One thing I'm sure of: Swiss politics will be quite intriguing in the months/years to come (at least to me).
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Opposition in Switzerland?
Wow, looks like Blocher as part of the Bundesrat is a goner. More comments tomorrow, once we know whether Mrs. Widmer-Schlumpf accepts her election...
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Yet Another Part-Time Job
Friday I went and got myself another part-time job in addition to teaching law & economics (which I'll only be doing until the end of January) and I will now teach English conversation, business English, etc. to business clients, my contract will be with this firm.
Other than that I'm still quite busy: I should be grading 59 exams right now, I regularly put my Sport-Abo to good use by going swimming and to the Sauna and I got myself invited to at least three christmas dinners;-). And of course there is still my thesis (now with new topic!).
By the way, Finland pictures are here. Oh, and I also had my first real CouchSurfing-experience in Helsinki last Sunday! I stayed last minute at a Turkish guy named Serkan's place and everything went smoothly. It really is a great system!
Other than that I'm still quite busy: I should be grading 59 exams right now, I regularly put my Sport-Abo to good use by going swimming and to the Sauna and I got myself invited to at least three christmas dinners;-). And of course there is still my thesis (now with new topic!).
By the way, Finland pictures are here. Oh, and I also had my first real CouchSurfing-experience in Helsinki last Sunday! I stayed last minute at a Turkish guy named Serkan's place and everything went smoothly. It really is a great system!
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