President counts Swiss blessings, urges global outlook

Kaspar Villiger took office as Swiss President on January 1st swissinfo.ch

The new president, Kaspar Villiger, has urged renewed commitment to basic Swiss values and a "yes" vote to joining the United Nations.

In the traditional speech for the New Year, Villiger appealed to the Swiss to be confident about the future despite the challenges the country faces in the near future.

Switzerland had many reasons to be grateful, he said, because unemployment was lower and the welfare system more secure than in other countries.

Switzerland offers the young generation good opportunities and, above all, citizens voices can be heard in a direct democracy, he added.

However, he said he understood the concerns some people have over the downturn in the economy, and sudden changes in the wake of a series of disasters that have hit Switzerland since September.

Nevertheless, Villiger said he was convinced that Switzerland could overcome the difficulties, if the country united to tackle the problems, as Switzerland has done in the past.

President for a year

Villiger, who is also the finance minister in the seven-member cabinet, holds the rotating post of Swiss president for this year.

He succeeds the transport minister, Moritz Leuenberger, who was president in 2001.

It is the second time Villiger takes over the largely ceremonial post. He was elected to the cabinet in 1989 and was president in 1995.

UN membership

In his speech Villiger seized the opportunity to call on voters to approve a proposal for Switzerland to join the United Nations. The issue will come to nationwide vote in March.

He said the terrorist attacks in the United States in September showed how vulnerable the global system had become. The UN was the only truly universal organisation able to enforce human rights, combat hunger and help resolve conflicts.

Villiger said it was in Switzerland’s own interest to actively support international efforts to fight injustice and inequality, because, like other countries, it faces the threat of terrorism and the effects of conflicts.

The UN was by no means a perfect organisation, but it was the only one capable of tackling the important problems of the world, Villiger pointed out.

National dialogue

Villiger said the National Exhibition, Expo.02, offered a great opportunity to strengthen dialogue among the different cultures and languages of Switzerland.

The Expo will be a meeting point for people from all corners of Switzerland and from abroad, Villiger said. It will also offer an opportunity to reaffirm a commitment to the values that make Switzerland a special country, he said.

Respect for minorities, as well as direct democracy, solidarity and social justice are values that cannot be taken for granted, he said. So it is necessary to keep up dialogue and try to understand others’ opinions.

The Expo, situated on the shores of Lakes Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel, is due to open in mid-May and run until next October.

swissinfo with agencies