Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Confederation, who took office only at midnight, confirmed approximately 40 deaths and 115 people injured following the tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on New Year’s Eve. He described it as “one of the worst tragedies this country has ever experienced”

What a tragedy to begin the new year. In the Swiss mountain resort Crans-Montana, “probably many dozens” lost their lives in a bar explosion on New Year’s Eve. +++ Hospitals across Switzerland are calling on citizens to avoid risk sports today, to prevent further emergencies +++

Bedrückender Bericht zu US-Eliteunis unter Trump: #CancelCulture, aber von rechts „Perhaps seeking to stay ahead of the new conservative cancel culture, some universities have moved swiftly to police syllabuses and disinvite lecturers, all while enforcing ever-stricter bans on unauthorized dissent“

Yes, I know: academics are supposed to have a website (for good reasons), and yes, I’ve been a laggard. But I’m happy to finally share mine. I’ll keep expanding it, but for now feel free to check it out & let me know what you think! rahelfreiburghaus.com Thx for following my work, I appreciate it

#Geburtslotterie: Wie würden sich Ihre Privilegien und Ihre Startchancen verändern, wenn Sie heute zufällig an einem anderen Ort als der Schweiz nochmals geboren würden? Probieren Sie es aus: www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery Ein (Wieder-)Bewusstwerden bringt Dankbarkeit im Jahresausklang

Meine Leseempfehlung zu Weihnachten: die Geschichte meines Vaters & seinem Hof, den er in 3. Generation führt – und in Bälde an meinen Bruder übergibt. Ein Text über den Wandel der Schweiz, bedrohte (landwirtschaftliche) Identität & Spannungsverhältnissen zw Konsum und Biodiversität. Frohes Fest!✨

Keine Rückschau in der „Könizer Zeitung|Der Sensetaler“ zu meinem Referat anlässlich von „Heimspiel Wissenschaft“ ( @scienceetcite.bsky.social) – danke für den schönen Bericht&die schmeichelhafte Bildlegende koenizer-zeitung.ch/demokratie-i... Lokalmedien sind wichtig für die (föderale) Demokratie!

Swiss public service, 1945:“What do we city dwellers really know about the work performance of a rural mail carrier,who does not know the 8-hour workday,who,all year round, in any weather,heat&cold,often heavily loaded, has to cover 30+km & is paid significantly less for it than his urban colleague”

Aus dem Interview: "Die allermeisten, die AfD wählen, tun das nicht zufällig, sondern aus Überzeugung. Und viele jetzt auch schon zum dritten oder vierten Mal. Diese Menschen wollen keine andere Regierung, sondern ein anderes politisches System. Das muss man sich klar vor Augen führen."

The ongoing radicalization of Gen Z Republicans is something media in Europe should absolutely start covering. Now.

„AI is also a threat not just to teaching, but to faculty jobs. […] Will we end up with a situation where higher income families are willing to pay a premium for human-taught courses but the rest will attend [University of] GPT? I’m no futurist but I don’t like the way this is going“

Dear fellow political science polisky departments, which one of you is the most festive? I boldly give @unil.bsky.social @sspunil.bsky.social a solid 5/5 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄! Feeling truly grateful to my new colleagues for their warmth and generosity as I took my first steps in a new position & a new university

I believe that many people, myself included, are still not sufficiently aware of how disinformation campaigns by foreign states undermine social cohesion and fuel polarization, thereby helping far-right parties gain influence. Becoming aware of this, however, strengthens our collective resilience

we have 5 positions open at @goetheuni.bsky.social in Frankfurt - a 4,5 year postdoc in my @erc.europa.eu project on the educational cleavage - 2 postdoc & 2 PhD positions, 4 years, in a research group on Reconfiguration & Internalization of Social Structure www.uni-frankfurt.de/48794784/FB0...

I believe that many people, myself included, are still not sufficiently aware of how disinformation campaigns by foreign states undermine social cohesion and fuel polarization, thereby helping far-right parties gain influence. Becoming aware of this, however, strengthens our collective resilience

“With the govt’s planned 10% cuts to the Swiss National Science Foundation, Switzerland is massively weakening its research, thereby putting the innovative strength of its economy & its competitiveness at risk,” says the President of the Research Council of the @snf-fns.ch www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...

In Trump's first year, he has developed a distinctive style of government — authoritarian, but so poorly thought out as to blunt its own effectiveness. I call it "haphazardism," and it may just be the thing saving American democracy www.vox.com/politics/472...

“With the govt’s planned 10% cuts to the Swiss National Science Foundation, Switzerland is massively weakening its research, thereby putting the innovative strength of its economy & its competitiveness at risk,” says the President of the Research Council of the @snf-fns.ch www.srf.ch/audio/echo-d...

Bob Reiner: „#Disinformation isn't about getting people to believe the lie, it's about getting them to be confused. Then the autocrat comes to the rescue: 'Don't worry, daddy will take care of you.'" (Seen via @arminwolf.at)

Die Weltwoche übernimmt seit 1 Jahr regelmässig Beiträge vom [r./u//s.s.] Propagandasender R]/T bsky.app/profile/luis... "Vier Mal 90 Minuten für die Demokratie" ist ein für Firmen, Unternehmen, Private einfach umsetzbares, effektives Programm gegen #Desinformation: www.derbund.ch/desinformati...

In 2017, during a visit to Point du Non-Retour, Swiss federal minister Leuthard said:“I'm glad that Switzerland was never involved in slavery or colonialism” Now, remarkably, the govt published an official report examining🇨🇭’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade @juergenzimmerer.bsky.social

As the Swiss parliament debates the finance minister’s austerity package (≈$5.5bn/year), it’s peak season for lobbying. Many still picture lobbyists as men in dark suits. In Switzerland, that image misses the point: lobbyists are often MPs themselves — and the cantons www.nzz.ch/schweiz/wer-...

I’m very happy to learn that my article RETHINKING SHARED RULE AS INTERGOVERNMENTAL LOBBYING has received second place in the BEST ARTICLE PRIZE @regfedst.bsky.social !🙏 I take this recognition as a sign of the potential in bringing together federalism with research on interest groups and lobbying

I’m very happy to learn that my article RETHINKING SHARED RULE AS INTERGOVERNMENTAL LOBBYING has received second place in the BEST ARTICLE PRIZE @regfedst.bsky.social !🙏 I take this recognition as a sign of the potential in bringing together federalism with research on interest groups and lobbying

New out today

Citing @mcopelov.bsky.social: „Performative public lying is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes“

«Eine solche Mobilisierung habe ich noch nie gesehen.» In der Waadt wird sogar im Spital gestreikt: Die Sparmassnahmen des Kantons machen besonders wütend, weil Tausende Vermögende zu wenig Steuern bezahlt haben. Von @judithko.bsky.social

Von Absinthverbots- bis zur Pflegeinitiative: Das Volk entscheidet, doch die Politik setzt den Volkswillen nicht um. Was könnte man gegen die Nicht-Umsetzung von Volksinitiativen tun? Braucht es bspw. ein obligatorisches Referendum gegen das Umsetzungsgesetz? Umsetzungsfristen fürs Parlament?

A really great day presenting at the University of Geneva! Huge thanks for the kind invite and the excellent feedback! Left with plenty of ideas, a stunning train ride home, and (of course) some local chocolate to celebrate the defeat of those who aimed to conquer the republic. Vive l‘Escalade! 🏰

#POLITKOLUMNE: Swiss direct democracy is often described as “vox populi, vox dei”. But even when citizens approve a popular initiative, it still needs to be translated into law by Parliament. And that second step fails in roughly half of all accepted initiatives www.derbund.ch/pflegeinitia...

A really great day presenting at the University of Geneva! Huge thanks for the kind invite and the excellent feedback! Left with plenty of ideas, a stunning train ride home, and (of course) some local chocolate to celebrate the defeat of those who aimed to conquer the republic. Vive l‘Escalade! 🏰

WOW! THANK YOU!! — GCN

Gantner &co: Wegen der erst eingeführten Transparenz über die Politikfinanzierung wissen wir nicht🇨🇭, wie sich der Anteil Superreicher an den Parteispendern über die Zeit verändert hat. Das Beispiel USA zeigt:„Mega-donor influence“ ist der mit Abstand wirksamste Weg, mit Geld Politik zu beeinflussen

Many in Switzerland felt… embarrassed as business leaders showed up at the Oval Office with gold bars and Rolex watches. Days later, another Swiss (Infantino) handing Trump a peace prize, with a laudatio people now hope they misheard

Why do so many people choose self-checkout at the grocery store, even when the lines are longer than the regular cashiers’? Valerie Trapp looks at a strange quirk of human behavior:

Honored and happy to serve as country expert on Switzerland at @ecpr.bsky.social‘s @pdyearbook.bsky.social!

Signs of an emerging „class war“ (😅) in direct-democratic Switzerland: as the federal parliament considers cutting subsidies for a night train to Malmö as part of an austerity package, opponents are now threatening a popular initiative to abolish first-class train cars instead

To strengthen dialogue between the public & researchers, @scienceetcite.bsky.social launched the HOME GAME series. It was deeply moving to return to my birthplace, share a polisky talk &then dive into so many conversations with people from a place that will always carry a special weight in my story

Fresh data from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS) just dropped on professorial appointments at Swiss universities. Between 2022 and 2024, 977 people were appointed as professors (511 as full professors). Median age: 48 (women) resp. 53 (men). Breakdown by gender and by Swiss university⬇️

Delighted to share my new publication @epsrjournal.bsky.social! It might be interesting for anyone curious about (intergovernmental) lobbying, unequal policy representation, and how territorial inequalities in public service access such as to trains, hospitals or schools come about

Apropos of nothing, 2x2 tables were the pinnacle of social theory #PhDComics #AcademicChatter

In Switzerland, around 16k people with disabilities who are under full guardianship remain disenfranchised nation-wide, a clear violation of the UN Convention. At the cantonal level, Geneva’s voters approved re-enfranchising these citizens in 2020. Today, voters in Vaud went firmly the other way

. @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social shows how US states evolved from political backwaters into key battlegrounds of „cultural wars“. Looking at Switzerland’s referendum results today, a faint echo appears: cantons (states) increasingly preempt cities, even on something as local as introducing 30km/h zones

In 2021, the youth wing of the Swiss Social Democrats pushed an initiative to tax capital income 1.5× than labour income. Today, we voted on their prop of an inheritance tax. The voting patterns look almost identical. Switzerland’s big debates about wealth are running on deep, stable currents

Die legendäre @leewas.bsky.social -Abstimmungsnadel tickt – mit Liveprognose in Echtzeit! Jetzt den Abstimmungssonntag verfolgen: tagesanzeiger.ch cc @lucasleemann.bsky.social @mariostauble.bsky.social #abst25 #chvote #ServiceCitoyen #Erbschaftssteuer

Today, Swiss voters will vote on two nation-wide referendums (popular initiatives): ▪️on replacing compulsory military service with a civic duty extended to women ( #ServiceCitoyen) ▪️on introducing an inheritance tax ( #Erbschaftssteuer) for the very rich to fund measures to fight climate change

A critique of our (w/ @bertous.bsky.social) paper “Instrumentally inclusive” has just been published. Our response is under review (see below on process) but we feel obliged to share our draft for balance since the comment has been released without the response. osf.io/rn6h3/files/...

Delighted to share my new publication @epsrjournal.bsky.social! It might be interesting for anyone curious about (intergovernmental) lobbying, unequal policy representation, and how territorial inequalities in public service access such as to trains, hospitals or schools come about

From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving! Hope your Thanksgiving dinner lives at least partly up to the unforgettable feast we shared last year in Somerville, MA during my stay at @europeatharvard.bsky.social! @isabelmhabicht.bsky.social @noraschierenbeck.bsky.social @tobiaswille.bsky.social