Swiss Abroad

Parliament reopens debate over EU labour deal

This content was published on Apr 28, 2008 The extension of a labour agreement – also known as the free movement of people accord – to the newest EU member states Bulgaria and Romania is linked to the continuation of a set of bilateral treaties with Brussels. A row over tax issues further complicates matters. Monday’s debate in the Senate marks the beginning…

Swiss Politics

Pro-Tibet rally gathers thousands

This content was published on Apr 26, 2008 The demonstrators, who included many exiled Tibetans living in Switzerland, demanded on Saturday that the government officially receive the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan leader will visit Bern in October following an invitation from the city authorities. Economics Minister Doris Leuthard was also asked to request from the Chinese government the authorisation for an international fact-finding…

Swiss Politics

Greens elect new president

This content was published on Apr 26, 2008 The new 56-year-old president has already stated that he wants to double the number of party members and garner more votes from rural areas at election time. Two women – fellow parliamentarian Franziska Teuscher and Aline Trede, a 25-year-old student representing the party’s youth movement – will second Leuenberger, who was the only candidate to…

Bern to impose sanctions on Chad

This content was published on Apr 25, 2008 In a government statement on Friday no details of the sanctions were given. However, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said they included visa restrictions to Switzerland on Chadian government officials. The government said it did not want the sanctions to affect the civilian population and as a result they were targeted at “representatives…

Swiss Politics

Government rejects naturalisation initiative

This content was published on Apr 24, 2008 The rightwing Swiss People’s Party initiative seeks to try to overturn an effective ban by the Federal Court five years ago. A nationwide vote is due to take place on June 1. Widmer-Schlumpf said the cabinet’s rejection was founded on the guarantee of constitutional rights to every individual and in particular on protection against discrimination…

Swiss Politics

Life looks up for Swiss animals

This content was published on Apr 23, 2008 Legislation to this effect comes into force on September 1, although there will be a grace period of two years while the courses are set up. This is one of the amendments to the law on the protection of animals announced by the government on Wednesday. But while tightening up the legislation, the authorities are…

Swiss Politics

Annan calls for climate justice

This content was published on Apr 22, 2008 Addressing journalists in Geneva on Tuesday, Annan, president of the new Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum, demanded united action to support the world’s poorest in adapting to climate change. The issue will be the focus of the forum’s first meeting to be held in Geneva on June 24-25, 2008. The two-day conference and workshops will bring…

Swiss Politics

Internal security threat growing, cabinet says

This content was published on Apr 22, 2008 The cabinet on Tuesday expressed its concern at the preliminary findings contained in the interim study. It said terrorism and organised crime represented the biggest risks. “The intelligence available to judge the situation and make decisions and also to recognise hidden dangers in time is no longer sufficient and does not meet the European standard,”…

Swiss Politics

Obama holds the edge for Swiss Americans

This content was published on Apr 21, 2008 But with primaries still to come on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, followed by Indiana and North Carolina on May 6, Hillary Clinton has vowed to fight all the way to her party’s convention in August. Clinton had the early lead in the contest, especially in states like Pennsylvania. But ahead of the latest primary, she has…

Swiss Politics

Swiss respond to measles epidemic plea

This content was published on Apr 21, 2008 More vaccines have been sold since the government launched an appeal in March to raise the immunisation rate in Switzerland, the Federal Health Office said on Monday. “I think people have got the message that they should be vaccinated,” Jean-Louis Zurcher from the health office told swissinfo. He echoed concerns expressed by European experts that…

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