Interesting article from NZZ. It deals with the current global changes and which qualities Switzerland has to react appropriately.

The author emphasizes how central the concept of "freedom" is for this country. It`s kind of funny because many complaints on EF are about the strict rules here.

http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur....12656445.html (in german)

I think he is talking about freedom of political choice and group political responsibility. (Google translated)

It is the freedom that constitutes the essence of Switzerland. We have no common language, no common religion, not a closed territory. But we need something in common with our different cultures yet. What is common to us is the will to freedom. This political freedom must be greater in Switzerland than in the countries around it. Otherwise Switzerland loses the raison d'être.

What Switzerland has to do so in order to assert their place within the community? I would like to make two recommendations: Are we to direct our democracy! Our liberal polity based on self-responsibility of citizens. This is embedded in a culture of common sense and moderation. On both is lacking today. The will to concordance and the political balance dwindles. Parties and politicians want to distinguish themselves in every nook and cranny. And the media, led by a selfish bombastic Sunday press, fueling this trend could. But this is incompatible with our political system. This is aligned to the consensus. Not the profile of a party or an individual politician is one, but the joint decision. Deliberately distributed the Swiss are the responsibility of the municipal council, in the Government, the Bundesrat - everywhere there are councils - on several shoulders.

Sorry, but you have to make a difference between
- political freedom
- personal freedom

In regard to POLITICAL freedom, Switzerland is TOP
in regard to PERSONAL freedom, Switzerland is FLOP

- the desire of much of the people to regulate everything
- the love of having a law for everything
- the habit of planting laws into the constitution
"""" clearly reduces personal freedom heavily

- referendums and initiatives and resulting public votes
- the way not just to vote in the city president but to vote in every single minister in a city
- the right to vote about even minor functionaries
- the proportional voting system
*** make the political rights unique

In regard to BANK freedom, Switzerland is TOP.
In regard to ECONOMIC freedom, Switzerland is ABOVE THE AVERAGE.
In regard to POLITICAL freedom, Switzerland is AVERAGE (but Swiss love to think they're the best at this)
in regard to PERSONAL freedom, Switzerland is CRAP (Army? Immigration rules? Sunday opening? etc)

Interesting points you raise, I pretty much agree on most of them. But being Swiss myself, (and in that case probably overestimating my own political freedom) could you maybe elaborate how our political freedom could be improved?
Especially given this: List of countries ranked by "freedom"

I think something has been forgotten here; when talking of 'freedom'. As everything is in this country so it has been voted and decided by the majority of the Swiss people. Whether 'Army' or 'immigration' (it was the Swiss people who decided about ten years ago to NOT limit the number of foreingers coming into the country) just as it is and was the Swiss people decided they didn't want shopping Sundays.

I don't see where freedom is missing here. Unless of course you are of the opinion that politicians should make your choice for you...?

The idea is now being bounced around in Brussels that the EU should be put onto a similar political foundation as Switzerland's. It's the only one that works allowing the people to decide what the politicians have to do.

You might wanna read the fine print to the document