On the dangers of risk aversion
In today’s security-obsessed society, deliberate risk taking has become the exception. This is a dangerous path, as without any risk taking there is neither change nor progress. The post On the dangers...
View ArticleThe value of values
The global financial crisis has led to a wider discussion of the basic moral consensus necessary for society to function and prosper. Is such a basic consensus even possible? What does it require? What...
View ArticleMiddle class under strain
In the last twenty years the Swiss middle class has lost ground compared with the lower and upper classes. Mid-range pay may have risen in real terms, but the increase has been less than for low and...
View ArticleAnother Swiss Export: the Debt Brake
The threat of national bankruptcy and the euro crisis make Switzerland's debt brake today’s hottest commodity. Its success story began with a referendum.The post Another Swiss Export: the Debt Brake...
View ArticleIdeas for Switzerland
The new book from Avenir Suisse proposes 44 ideas in twelve different areas of politics and policy. It provides an overview of Avenir Suisse’s work and illustrates the entire spectrum of themes and...
View ArticleThe iceberg of national debt
Mountains of debt are like icebergs. We only see the tip, i.e. a small part, consider ourselves safe and underestimate the dangers.The post The iceberg of national debt appeared first on avenir suisse.
View ArticleD-A-CH Reform Barometer 2011/12
Since 2002 Avenir Suisse, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research, and Austria's Economic Chambers have been monitoring reforms in their respective countries. The latest edition of the «D-A-CH...
View ArticlePublic Companies in the Private Sector
Should the state be involved in business? Experts at Avenir Suisse’s seventh workshop on competition policy agreed the incursion of public companies into the private sector was problematic. The...
View ArticleMultinational companies: fact and fiction
Avenir Suisse’s new discussion paper examines the close inter-relationships between multinational companies and the Swiss economy. It highlights the profound structural changes that have occurred in...
View ArticleLet’s talk about Avenir Suisse …
Avenir Suisse's director Gerhard Schwarz in an interview with the "Swiss Magazine" about the think tank's work...The post Let’s talk about Avenir Suisse … appeared first on avenir suisse.
View ArticleUnreasonable prices?
High prices are seen as unfair, and repeatedly provide material for politicising. The upcoming reform of Switzerland’s competition rules should, among other things, extend the Competition Commission’s...
View ArticleReshuffling the cards
Europe and North America are currently fixated with income and wealth distribution. Anti-capitalist critics denounce unfair “inequalities” – with some success. Recently, Swiss voters showed their...
View ArticleAvenir Suisse’s Freedom Index
Where do the “free-est“ Swiss live? An online tool helps examine this question and compare freedoms between cantons, based on 21 economic and civil indicators.The post Avenir Suisse’s Freedom Index...
View ArticleNo time for liberalisation
Enthusiasm for economic policy reform declined in Switzerland in 2013. That is one of the conclusions in the latest «D A CH-Reformbarometer» (Germany, Austria and Switzerland Reform Barometer) compiled...
View ArticleTrailblazers of modern Switzerland
Trailblazers of Modern Switzerland is rather unusual for an Avenir Suisse book. Instead of focusing on the political economy debate and analysis, the new workportrays 31 women at the forefront of...
View ArticleNew Isms Endangering Liberty
Mr. President of the Czech Republic, dear members of the Mont Pelerin Society, dear friends of liberty, it is not only a pleasure and an honor to address this distinguished audience, it is also quite a...
View ArticleWays out of the regulatory jungle
Switzerland’s burden of regulations has increased markedly over the years, both in absolute terms and compared with its neighbours. Much more red tape is in the pipeline: an energy strategy for 2050;...
View ArticleOf old and new privileges
Switzerland’s federal system devolves activities as diverse as fishing, notarial work, property insurance and geothermal exploration to the cantons. Avenir Suisse’s sixth Cantonal Monitoring study, “Of...
View ArticlePrivacy and the Net
A new "avenir spezial" on privacy, data protection and the net examines the significance of data protection and data security in everyday life. It asks what lessons can be learned from the leaks by...
View ArticleBad marks for Switzerland’s willingness to reform
The 2011-2015 legislative period has been disappointing for liberalisation. Avenir Suisse’s latest “D A CH Reform Barometer” shows 2014 marked another step backwards. The post Bad marks for...
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