Echo

Irregularities in Moutier?

At a referendum in the summer Moutier decided to switch canton from Berne to Jura with 51.7 % of voters in favour. However, the matter is not over yet. There were allegedly voting irregularities on 18 June despite the tight monitoring. Some ballot papers may have contained the names of people who are deceased. The Federal Chancellery has recorded 12 complaints. They concern the balance of the campaign, but also the checking of identity cards and possible falsification of ballot papers. The investigations of the office of the Bernese public prosecutor into the suspected irregularities may be a lengthy process. It is nevertheless unlikely that the outcome will result in another referendum.

New leader for the Green Liberals

The Swiss Green Liberal Party (GLP) has appointed a new president. The Bernese National Councillor and businessman Jürg Grossen was elected as Martin Bäumle’s successor by a clear margin at the party’s delegates’ conference. Bäumle announced his retirement in May. The 48-year-old Grossen, who takes over from the charismatic Bäumle, has never really pushed himself into the limelight before and is regarded as a rather reserved figure. Grossen has been a National Councillor since 2011 and Vice-President of the GLP since 2016. He has also been Vice-President of the GLP parliamentary group at the Federal Assembly since 2015. He has a strong interest in the issues of energy and transport policy.

New stars for Swiss restaurants

Switzerland has the most restaurant stars per capita in Europe. In the latest edition of the restaurant and hotel guide, the “Michelin Guide to Switzerland 2018”, 118 restaurants have one or more stars. Two new two-star and 14 new one-star restaurants have been added since the last edition, one of them in Liechtenstein. The restaurants “B. Violier – Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville” in Crissier (Vaud), “Schauenstein” in Fürstenau (Grisons) and “Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl” in Basel have retained their three-star rating. Two restaurants in eastern Switzerland have been elevated to the two-star league – the “Einstein Gourmet” in St. Gallen and the “Taverne zum Schäfli” in Wigoltingen (Thurgau).