Ahead of the Curve
While the German Supply Chain Act (SCDDA) faces criticism for its potential economic impact, compliance offers companies significant advantages. It positions them ahead of the curve in aligning with the forthcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). By integrating responsible business practices early, companies not only meet current human rights and environmental standards but also gain a competitive edge. Amending or repealing the SCDDA, however, risks diminishing these advantages for German businesses.
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Democratizing Switzerland
About 25% of Switzerland’s permanent population do not possess the red passport necessary to vote due to one of the most restrictive citizenship law’s in the Western world. The Democracy Initiative is trying to change this. While unlikely to succeed, they are nonetheless starting an important conversation about how to fix Switzerland’s semi-democracy.
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Upgrading German Citizenship
As part of their broader agenda to “modernize” its immigration laws, Germany’s government has proposed to ease immigrants’ access to citizenship. The opposition – especially the CDU – as well as the liberal government coalition partner FDP are not happy with this. Among other things, they are concerned that the new law would seriously diminish the value of German citizenship and insist that immigrants should successfully integrate before they become German nationals. I argue in the following that these concerns, and further claims, are unfounded.
Continue reading >>Evidenzbasierte Politik ist ein Menschenrecht
Die Akademie der Wissenschaften Schweiz hat diesen Monat eine umfassende Studie zur Rolle der Wissenschaft bei der politischen Reaktion der Schweiz auf die COVID-19-Pandemie publiziert. Danach gibt es für die wissenschaftliche Politikberatung keine rechtliche Grundlage in der schweizerischen Gesetzgebung. Unbeachtet blieb allerdings, dass die einzelnen Mitglieder von wissenschaftlichen Beratungsgremien in der Kommunikation ihrer Erkenntnisse von der Wissenschaftsfreiheit geschützt sind und die Bevölkerung ein Recht auf evidenzbasierte Politik hat.
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