Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Race for cabinet election seats hots up

This content was published on Sep 7, 2010 What might attract less attention in other countries is of major political and public interest in Switzerland. And for good reason: this is also a ballot about the government as a whole. It is one of the particularities of Switzerland’s political system and never ceases to amaze foreign observers: The resignation of a minister from…

Swiss Politics

Swiss make “gesture” after death of Nigerian

This content was published on Sep 6, 2010 It said payment was made by the Federal Migration Office as a “humanitarian gesture in an exceptional situation”, adding that payment was neither compensation nor a recognition of debt. In its reply to a parliamentary question, the government noted there was no Swiss legislation that covered such an incident. The Nigerian’s family, through a lawyer,…

Swiss Politics

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This content was published on Sep 6, 2010 350 Characters

Swiss Politics

More money urged for public transport

This content was published on Sep 6, 2010 The Swiss Transport and Environment Association and other organisations have collected enough signatures for a people’s initiative on the issue. It was handed in to the Federal Chancellery on Monday. Supporters want the revenue from Switzerland’s petroleum tax to be split evenly between public transport and road infrastructure. Currently it is divided into 75 per…

Swiss Politics

Tunnelling through a mountain

This content was published on Sep 6, 2010 The challenges of boring such a rail tunnel, which will witness its final breakthrough on October 15, have been many, and Mother Nature has sometimes made life difficult along the way. The Gotthard Base Tunnel will be the most important element of the new flat rail link through the Alps. Rising no higher than 550m…

Swiss Politics

Free trade talks with India hit stumbling block

This content was published on Sep 5, 2010 They warn that moves to do away with customs duties and to boost patent protection could endanger the existence of small and medium-sized enterprises in India. “Switzerland primarily seeks to improve access to the Indian market for its chemical and pharmaceutical products, machines and watches,” says Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs…

Swiss Politics

Environment lobbyists face exhausting fight

This content was published on Sep 4, 2010 But not everyone is convinced that the establishment of so-called low-emission zones (Lez) will contribute much to lowering the concentration of dangerous fine particles, which can lead to bronchial disease. The permitted limits for these particles in the air are regularly exceeded in Switzerland’s larger towns, especially in winter. One source is diesel engines without…

Swiss Politics

No surprises for cabinet nominees

This content was published on Sep 3, 2010 There were no surprises from either the centre-left Social Democrats or centre-right Radicals with their choices. The former presented its two-person ticket on Friday: senator Simonetta Sommaruga and parliamentarian from the House of Representatives, Jacqueline Fehr. The Radicals put forward Karin Keller-Sutter and Johann Schneider-Ammann. Keller-Sutter is a government minister in canton St Gallen, while…

Swiss Politics

Law expert re-elected to Human Rights Committee

This content was published on Sep 3, 2010 Keller has been professor of European and international law at Zurich University since 2004. She has been a member of the Human Rights Committee since July 2008, succeeding Switzerland’s Walter Kälin. Thursday’s election renewed her mandate as an independent expert until December 31, 2014. The Human Rights Committee comprises 18 independent experts who meet three…

Swiss Politics

Swiss want a say on how to end their lives

This content was published on Sep 2, 2010 But a Zurich University survey into public attitudes on these issues – the first of its kind in the country – also found a lack of support for “death tourism” where foreigners come to Switzerland to end their lives. The results of the poll of around 1,500 people, which was published by the university’s Criminology…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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