‘Switzerland will have the last word,’ wrote Victor Hugo in the late 19th century. ‘It possesses one of the most perfect forms of government in the world.’ A contemporary of his, Frederick Kuenzli, a scholar of the Swiss Army, boasted: ‘No purer type of Republican ideals, no more fixed and devoted adherence to those ideals can be found in all the world than in Switzerland.’
On many levels, there is reason to believe that, indeed, Switzerland remains a unique oasis of rationality and intelligence in the ocean-wide bloodbath that is contemporary Western fiscal and social self-sabotage. On the other hand, there is the Swiss National Bank – the central bank – that oddly appears to be encouraging the same monetary policy dance-with-death that has tripped up the country’s masochistic neighbors. How viable yet is the Swiss element in that which we still admire as the nation of Switzerland? First the good news:
Direct democracy is alive and kicking: No mere opinion poll, the power and vibrancy of the referendum – one that can be launched by any local who can gather 100,000 signatures in support – constitutes one of the most impressive displays of true citizen-republicanism that there is. There is an upcoming vote on the Swiss Sovereign Money Initiative – a movement to obstruct financial speculation; recent referendums that were voted into law include a phasing out of nuclear energy to be replaced by renewables, and easier naturalization of third-generation immigrants.
This post was published at Ludwig von Mises Institute on August 7, 2017.
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