Does your vote count? Trump says 'Let's see' Switzerland says 'Let's talk…'

10/14/2020 2:37:49 PM

(MENAFN- Swissinfo)

Swiss voters may have signed off on the purchase of new fighter jets, but that doesn't mean the conversation is over. Pictured here: a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet on a test day in Payerne last year © Keystone/ Valentin Flauraud

America's election anxieties are far from unique. Switzerland's recent referendum experiences may offer some clues for managing polarisation.

This content was published on October 14, 2020 - 11:00 October 14, 2020 - 11:00 Bruno Kaufmann

Bruno is swissinfo.ch's global democracy correspondent as well as being a long-term foreign correspondent for the Swiss Broadcasting Company, based in Sweden. He is also the Director of International Relations at the Swiss Democracy Foundation and Co-president of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy.

More about the author | English Department

In a scary moment for American democracy, US President Donald Trump declined to say if he would accept the outcome of the November 3 election, warning his supporters to prepare instead for a democratic disaster.

'This is going to be a fraud like you've never seen,' he said during the first debate between himself and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Trump also questioned the fairness of mail-in voting – which began in the 1880s and is now accessible to 83% of the US electorate – and suggested the 'Proud Boys' white supremacist group should 'stand by' until the result is known.

This lurch towards anti-democratic behaviour in the oldest modern democracy is hardly an outlier in the global political landscape, according to New York University Professor of Politics Adam Przeworski. He counts 68 countries that have never yet had a peaceful handover of power.

MENAFN1410202002100000ID1100958007

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.