Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Europe tops Finnish talks

This content was published on Jul 14, 2006 Talks on Friday in Turku with Tarja Halonen, the president of Finland, focused on the state of Swiss-EU relations and the future of the European constitution. Switzerland has concluded two sets of bilateral agreements with the EU and would like to negotiate similar agreements in a number of areas, as confirmed in the recent “Europe…

Referendum on child benefit gets go-ahead

This content was published on Jul 13, 2006 Business lobbies have collected enough signatures to force a referendum to overturn the new law which foresees minimum monthly payments of SFr200 ($163) per child. The Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses, acting on behalf of the lobbies, said on Thursday it had collected 55,000 signatures – 50,000 are needed to force a referendum. The…

Swiss Politics

NGOs demand tougher laws on weapons

This content was published on Jul 13, 2006 The NGOs, representing branches of psychiatry, violence prevention and human rights, said on Thursday that the introduction of a central arms database would avoid much pain and grief. They pointed out that Switzerland’s suicide rate at just under 1,500 a year was high compared with other countries. The president of the Swiss Society of Psychiatry…

Swiss Politics

Cooperation with Bosnia is Swiss priority

This content was published on Jul 13, 2006 To mark ten years’ cooperation work, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been organising a series of events, including forums with experts from Bosnia and Switzerland. “We are providing a platform for discussion to share experiences, rather than ready-made solutions,” Ruedi Schoch, head of the SDC’s coordination office in Sarajevo, told swissinfo.…

Swiss Politics

Swiss payout to new EU members faces vote

This content was published on Jul 12, 2006 The rightwing Swiss People’s Party announced on Wednesday that it had succeeded in gathering enough signatures to force a referendum on the issue. The People’s Party said it had collected more than 70,000 signatures from the population – 50,000 are needed for a referendum to go ahead. The vote is expected to take place on…

Swiss Politics

swiss lessons for sudan

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 Omer Awadalla Ali, who carried out his doctoral studies at the Institute of Federalism at Fribourg University, reflects upon his nation’s future. It only took three weeks for Ali to catch the federalism bug when he took part in one of the institute’s summer courses back in August 2000. The lawyer, who works for the…

how federalism works without democracy

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 The United Arab Emirates is ruled by enlightened autocrats, without parties or elections. Nevertheless, the UAE works well as a federal state, just like Switzerland with its cantons. The domestic politics and geopolitical role of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have more in common with Switzerland than might be expected from such an apparently different…

Swiss Politics

switzerland’s federalism laboratory

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 Fribourg University’s Federalism Institute is leading the charge, inviting researchers from around the world and providing experts for conflict regions. For Thomas Fleiner, head of the institute, it’s not about exporting Swiss federalism. In fact he hates the idea. “Our job is to stimulate research that will lead to solutions adapted to situations very different…

Swiss Politics

geneva – capital of the globalised world

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 Switzerland and its diplomatic service have benefited considerably from Geneva’s international stature, which has grown since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Geneva has long been host to the European headquarters of the United Nations and many other specialised UN agencies, but contrary to what many believe, it is not the Swiss capital. “Everyone thinks…

Swiss Politics

swiss diplomacy awakens from its slumber

This content was published on Jul 11, 2006 After finally joining the United Nations in 2002, the country has successfully turned the focus of its diplomatic efforts to multilateralism. For over a century, Swiss diplomacy was defined by good offices – managing diplomatic relations between countries. Since 1864, and the founding of the Red Cross, Geneva has hosted many international conferences. Negotiations over…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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Europe tops Finnish talks

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Referendum on child benefit gets go-ahead

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NGOs demand tougher laws on weapons

More

Cooperation with Bosnia is Swiss priority

More

Swiss payout to new EU members faces vote

More

swiss lessons for sudan

More

how federalism works without democracy

More

switzerland’s federalism laboratory

More

geneva – capital of the globalised world

More

swiss diplomacy awakens from its slumber

Popular Stories

Most Discussed