Swiss parliament ends its summer session
The two chambers of the Swiss parliament wrapped up their three-week summer session on Friday after wide-ranging debates on a large number of issues.
Members decided to continue Switzerland's agreement with the European Union on the free movement of peoples, which allows Swiss and EU citizens to work in each other countries, and to extend it to apply to the new EU members, Bulgaria and Romania.
The Senate followed the House of Representatives in rejecting government moves to ease the law restricting the purchase of real estate by non-resident foreigners. It asked the government to reconsider the issue and come up with new proposals.
As expected, parliament agreed to extend the mandate of Swiss peacekeeping forces in Kosovo.
On the final day of the session the speakers of both houses expressed their condolences on the accident which claimed the lives of at least three Swiss troops in the Bernese Oberland on Thursday.
The Swiss parliament meets four times a year for three weeks of intense discussion.
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