Swiss Abroad

Life of a Swiss who engineered change in Ethiopia

This content was published on Jun 1, 2004 Alfred Ilg emigrated to Ethiopia in 1879 and stayed there for 27 eventful years. The exhibition documents the amazing story of how Ilg entered service with the Ethiopian emperor aged 25, and went on to become one of the most influential men in the country. Emperor Menelik was very keen to modernise his country and…

Swiss Politics

Personalities dominate Swiss politics

This content was published on May 28, 2004 The study also reveals that first-time voters were attracted to the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, which emerged as the strongest political force. The independent report – coordinated by the Institute for Political Science at Zurich University – found that cabinet ministers are influencing the way people vote more than they did in the past. “People’s…

Swiss Politics

Deiss thanks Dutch for supporting bilateral accords

This content was published on May 25, 2004 He was speaking at the end of a two-day trip to the Netherlands, which is due to take up the EU’s rotating presidency in July. Deiss’s visit comes less than a week after Switzerland concluded negotiations on a second set of bilateral accords with the EU. Speaking after a meeting with the Dutch prime minister,…

Swiss Politics

Party leader promises Radical reform

This content was published on May 23, 2004 Its new president, Rolf Schweiger, told swissinfo the party has to rethink its social policy and make up lost ground. The Centre-right Radicals are Switzerland’s oldest political party and have been part of the government since 1848. For a long time, they were also the biggest parliamentary group, but have since lost ground to the…

Swiss Politics

Swiss politics seeks new direction

This content was published on May 21, 2004 Some of them are warning that the country’s cherished direct democracy could constitute a roadblock for future reforms. May 16 was a dark day for Switzerland’s Centre-right parliamentary majority. More than two-thirds of voters turned down the proposals that had been approved by parliament. The result was not entirely unexpected, with opposition coming from the…

Swiss Politics

Diplomats reveal tricks of the trade

This content was published on May 19, 2004 But these diplomats hardly ever appear on the photographs. They work behind the scenes. Unlike other countries, Switzerland doesn’t have special training schools for diplomats. However, this doesn’t prevent them from having top-notch negotiators – as the bilateral accords between Switzerland and the EU demonstrate. “It is totally accepted, indeed respected that a country like…

Swiss Politics

New dawn for Swiss-EU relations

This content was published on May 19, 2004 The European Commission president, Romano Prodi, hailed the agreement as a boost to Swiss-EU relations. “The Union embraces Switzerland,” he said. “This marks the start of a new stage in our relationship.” He added that the treaties would bring considerable advantages to people in both Switzerland and EU member states. The Swiss president, Joseph Deiss,…

Swiss Politics

Big day for Swiss government in Brussels

This content was published on May 19, 2004 The two sides signed an agreement on the nine dossiers after lengthy wrangling, but uncertainties remain over the Schengen accord on cross-border crime and an EU savings tax directive. A top Swiss delegation met the European Commission president, Romano Prodi, and other senior EU representatives to wrap up the accords. Switzerland was represented by President…

Swiss Politics

Bilaterals still face uphill battle

This content was published on May 18, 2004 Opponents are threatening to call a nationwide vote, which would jeopardise Switzerland’s ability to meet an EU deadline on tax evasion. The rightwing Swiss People’s Party is opposed to plans for security cooperation with Brussels. Last week’s agreement on the nine bilateral accords by EU diplomats has prompted calls in Switzerland for voters to decide…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland inches closer to EU

This content was published on May 17, 2004 The Swiss president, Joseph Deiss, the foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, and the finance minister, Hans-Rudolf Merz, will attend the meeting. The announcement comes after EU foreign ministers officially approved the accords at a meeting on Monday. Three of the nine accords negotiated between Switzerland and the EU deal with closer cooperation on security and asylum,…

Swiss Abroad

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