Swiss Abroad

Information Summit kicks off in Geneva

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 The three-day United Nations gathering officially got underway on Wednesday in Geneva. Pascal Couchepin, president of the event’s host country, opened the summit at a ceremony involving thousands of delegates. “I’m overjoyed to welcome you to Switzerland for this summit,” Couchepin told the crowd. “We are proud to host this summit, which, for the first…

Swiss Politics

Deiss elected president

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Deiss received 174 votes in the election for the rotating post of president, while Schmid won 143 votes in his ballot.The justice minister, Ruth Metzler, was due to become president, but she was not re-elected by parliament.

Swiss government enters new era

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 By a narrow majority of five parliamentary votes, Blocher unseated the Christian Democrat justice minister, Ruth Metzler. Hans-Rudolf Merz of the centre-right Radicals was elected to replace Kaspar Villiger, who is retiring as finance minister. Blocher’s election brings an end to a power-sharing arrangement – known as the Magic Formula – which has been in…

Swiss Politics

New cabinet sworn in

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 The cabinet is also made up of two representatives of the centre-right Radical Party, the centre-left Social Democrats and one member of the centre-right Christian Democrats. But only one woman remains in government after the Christian Democrat justice minister, Ruth Metzler, was unseated.

Blocher becomes one of them

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Parliament nevertheless elected him on Wednesday. Whether they find him liberal and intelligent or crude and arrogant, the Swiss rarely seem to sit on the fence when it comes to Blocher. A member of parliament for almost 25 years, 63-year-old Blocher is used to dividing opinions over issues such as asylum seekers and Swiss membership…

Calmy-Rey overwhelmingly re-elected

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Calmy-Rey scored the second best result in the cabinet elections behind her colleague from the Social Democratic Party, Moritz Leuenberger.

Swiss Politics

Schmid also re-elected

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Schmid – who holds the defence portfolio – was first elected to cabinet three years ago. There is speculation that he could opt for another ministry in a possible cabinet reshuffle.

Deiss remains in cabinet

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Deiss, who joined the government nearly five years ago, won 138 votes.The rightwing People’s Party, who had promised to challenge Deiss’s seat, succeeded in unseating his party colleague, Ruth Metzler, in an earlier round of voting.

Blocher wins seat in cabinet

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 By a narrow majority of five parliamentary votes, Blocher successfully unseated the Christian Democrat justice minister, Ruth Metzler. Every four years, shortly after the parliamentary elections, cabinet ministers need to have their mandate renewed by parliament. They normally have little trouble being re-elected, but after its gains in October’s parliamentary elections, the People’s Party renewed…

Blocher wins seat in cabinet

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 The People’s Party, which became the biggest group after October’s parliamentary elections, had threatened to go into opposition if Blocher was not elected.

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Information Summit kicks off in Geneva

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Deiss elected president

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Swiss government enters new era

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New cabinet sworn in

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Blocher becomes one of them

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Calmy-Rey overwhelmingly re-elected

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Schmid also re-elected

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Deiss remains in cabinet

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Blocher wins seat in cabinet

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Blocher wins seat in cabinet

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