Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Conference hails “landmark” day for Bosnia

This content was published on Oct 21, 2005 The two-day conference, which wrapped up on Friday, was being held in Geneva to discuss the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The European Commission announced on Friday that it had recommended the start of long-delayed talks on closer ties between the EU and Bosnia. Bosnia is the only country in the Balkans which has not yet started…

Swiss Politics

Swiss likely to approve both November votes

This content was published on Oct 21, 2005 The gfs institute survey, which was commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo’s parent company – comes a month before the two issues go to a vote. The Swiss will go to the polls on November 27 to decide whether the labour law should be modified to allow Sunday shopping at major railways stations…

Swiss Politics

Geneva marks ten years of peace in Bosnia

This content was published on Oct 19, 2005 In 1995 the Dayton peace agreement signalled the end of a four-year conflict in Bosnia in which an estimated 100,000 people died and two million became refugees. The peace process began in Geneva on September 8, 1995, under the guidance of the Swedish mediator and former High Representative in Bosnia, Carl Bildt. The peace treaty…

Swiss Politics

New president chosen for Swiss Arts Council

This content was published on Oct 19, 2005 Mario Annoni, a member of the Bern cantonal government, is replacing Yvette Jaggi at the helm of Pro Helvetia – the Swiss organisation for promoting the arts. More than a third of the current board members have been replaced, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. The board of Pro Helvetia has been reduced from 35…

Swiss Politics

Row over Swiss funds to poor EU countries

This content was published on Oct 18, 2005 Alliance Sud said the money set aside by Switzerland for the cohesion funds to support Europe’s weaker economies, should come from other sources. Switzerland agreed to pay SFr1 billion ($840 million) towards the cohesion funds over a five-year period when it signed the second series of bilateral agreements with the EU in May 2004. But…

Swiss Politics

Donor nations need to do more for Sudan

This content was published on Oct 15, 2005 The law professor warns that while peace may have returned to the troubled region after 20 years of civil war, the situation is still far from secure for returnees. After a ten-day visit to Southern Sudan, Kälin called this week on the international community, donor countries and the Sudanese government to ensure the rights of…

Swiss Politics

Swiss forced to re-evaluate extremist threat

This content was published on Oct 14, 2005 The public appearance of 800 Nazi skinheads on August 1 during National Day celebrations on the Rütli, the traditional birthplace of Switzerland, turned a spotlight on the issue and triggered a national debate. Then in September 400 neo-Nazis participated in an unauthorised concert in Valais in honour of Ian Stuart, founder of the extremist organisation…

Swiss Politics

Iraqi diplomat sees hope in new constitution

This content was published on Oct 13, 2005 But Baha Al-Shibib cautions that success in Saturday’s referendum would still leave his country facing a long and difficult journey towards peace and stability. swissinfo: How confident are you that the draft constitution will be accepted? Baha Al-Shibib: I have no doubt that the constitution is going to be adopted by a good majority, because…

Swiss Politics

North Korean policy shift worries Swiss

This content was published on Oct 11, 2005 The Swiss official with special responsibility for North Korea feels the phasing out of humanitarian aid is happening too quickly and may leave vulnerable groups exposed. North Korea, with its population of 22 million, has relied on foreign assistance since natural disasters and mismanagement caused its economy to collapse in the mid-1990s. The communist regime…

Swiss Politics

Swiss sceptical of “marriage of convenience”

This content was published on Oct 11, 2005 Initial press reactions are unanimous in seeing difficulties in the recently negotiated coalition government as well as political reforms. Three weeks after voters gave Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) an unexpectedly narrow win over Gerhard Schröder’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) in a federal election, an agreement has been struck that sets the stage for a…

Cluster: Swiss Abroad

Popular Stories

Most Discussed