Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Education vote heralds political sea change

This content was published on May 22, 2006 Editorialists say Sunday’s vote puts the onus on the cantons to make harmonisation work, but warn against expecting fast results. A decisive 86 per cent of the electorate voted on Sunday in favour of constitutional amendments to bring more cohesion to the school system and give the federal authorities a bigger say. But turnout was…

Swiss Politics

Overwhelming approval for education reform

This content was published on May 21, 2006 The constitutional amendment aims to harmonise the different school systems and give the federal authorities a bigger say. The polls indicate at least 23 of the 26 cantons voted in favour, paving the way for the reforms to be implemented. Changes to the constitution require a majority of the cantons as well as of the…

Swiss Politics

Lenin and the Swiss non-revolution

This content was published on May 19, 2006 Lenin, the father of the Russian revolution, worked on his theories for a popular uprising while living in Switzerland.

Swiss Politics

Cantons look at pros of EU membership

This content was published on May 16, 2006 The report says that entry into the EU would have advantages over the bilateral treaties that Bern has signed with Brussels. Membership would mean the cantons playing a direct role in regional bodies of the EU, whereas, at the moment, the Swiss government alone negotiates the bilateral way. The Europe working group of the Conference…

Swiss Politics

Testing times ahead for UN rights body

This content was published on May 10, 2006 Adrien-Claude Zoller, president of Geneva for Human Rights, says he hopes Switzerland maintains its strong commitment to the new body and ensures the voices of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are heard. Switzerland, elected alongside 46 other countries in New York on Tuesday, now faces the task of helping to thrash out how the council will operate.…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland elected to new UN human rights body

This content was published on May 10, 2006 The council, which stems from a Swiss initiative, is to replace the discredited Human Rights Commission and will meet for the first time at its seat in Geneva next month. Switzerland was chosen in the first ballot on Tuesday and won 140 out of 191 votes. Reacting to the news on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Micheline…

Swiss Politics

No constitutional safeguard for banking secrecy

This content was published on May 9, 2006 Most parliamentarians took the view that such protection for banking secrecy was no longer necessary since the signing of a relevant treaty with the European Union. The proposal, put forward by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, gained a good deal of currency in parliament in December 2003 when Switzerland was under heavy EU pressure to…

Swiss Politics

Christian Democrats go for woman candidate

This content was published on May 9, 2006 Parliament is due to meet mid-June to elect a new representative of the centre-right party in the seven-member government. The 43-year-old Leuthard said on Tuesday she was ready to enter the race for the Christian Democrat seat in cabinet. It is widely believed that her election to the government is a done deal, since she…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland and the EU

This content was published on May 9, 2006

Swiss hope to land seat on new UN rights body

This content was published on May 9, 2006 Swiss diplomats have spent the past month vigorously campaigning for a seat among UN members, who will choose from 64 countries. “Nothing is guaranteed, but I am relatively optimistic,” senior Swiss diplomat Ulrich Lehner told swissinfo. “Switzerland has a strong case to put to the 191 members of the General Assembly.” “We represent diversity compared…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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Cluster: Swiss Abroad

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Education vote heralds political sea change

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Overwhelming approval for education reform

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Lenin and the Swiss non-revolution

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Cantons look at pros of EU membership

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Testing times ahead for UN rights body

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Switzerland elected to new UN human rights body

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No constitutional safeguard for banking secrecy

More

Christian Democrats go for woman candidate

More

Switzerland and the EU

More

Swiss hope to land seat on new UN rights body

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