Parliament has approved a total of 17 legal amendments – and bid farewell to at least 49 of its members - on the final day of its regular autumn session.
Both chambers passed amendments on banking regulations and managed healthcare as well as a SFr870 million ($975 million) stimulus package for the economy to soften the impact on the strong Swiss franc.
They also dealt with a number of other issues including family names, education, unemployment insurance and a ban on genital mutilation.
The three-week session in the capital Bern marks the end of the four-year parliamentary term ahead of general elections on October 23.
Officials say about one in five members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have decided not to stand for re-election.
A record of 3,458 candidates, including more than 70 Swiss expatriates, have signed up for the elections – an increase of nearly 11 per cent on 2007.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
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Managed care bill wins approval in parliament
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The House of Representatives on Thursday followed the Senate in agreeing a compromise following seven years of discussions. Under the reform, patients’ contributions towards medical bills will be increased from ten to 15 per cent for those who still insist on having a free choice of doctors, as is possible under the present system. Managed…
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Under the change, men and women should keep their names after marriage or choose one of the two names as a family name. The same applies to registered partnerships. The reason for the move is a European Court for Human Rights verdict from 1994 which said that the Swiss right to the use of a…
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While the centrist parties hailed Switzerland’s pioneering role, the political right argued the measures compromised the competitive edge of the financial sector and the left called for further restrictions, notably on investment banking. Ahead of a final vote on the bill on Friday and following tough bargaining between the two chambers over the past autumn…
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Following the Senate, the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to accept the plan to inject SFr870 million ($975 million) into the economy in exactly the form presented by the government. Voting was 102 to 48 after about seven hours of debate spread over two days. The package faces one more hurdle on September 30,…
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