Swiss Politics

Leuenberger proposes plan to dim electricity price hikes

This content was published on Oct 24, 2008 The national power grid operator, Swissgrid, caused a public outcry when it announced in late September that electricity prices would double over the next five years. Leuenberger said the proposed measures would include a reform on how power grids depreciate and a reduction in reserve energy costs. Both are needed to stabilise power levels and…

Swiss Politics

Federal Court overturns swimming ruling

This content was published on Oct 24, 2008 In making the ruling, announced on Friday, the court overturned its own decision of 1993. The case was brought by the father of two primary schoolchildren in the northern canton of Schaffhausen, who wanted permission for his sons to opt out of swimming classes. His request had been turned down at every level before failing…

Swiss Politics

The right to vote

This content was published on Oct 24, 2008 Women finally gained the vote in Switzerland in 1971, after a long campaign. Before that male voters had always rejected the move. Old posters show how the subject was often an emotional one.

Switzerland rallies for nuclear disarmament

This content was published on Oct 23, 2008 In an interview with swissinfo in New York, Jürg Streuli, Switzerland’s representative before the UN, says he is committed to getting nuclear powers to take their fingers off the button. In 2007 Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sweden and Switzerland introduced a resolution before the UN General Assembly in New York to make nuclear-armed countries…

Swiss Politics

German anger meets Swiss wrath in tax row

This content was published on Oct 22, 2008 Following its neighbours’ joint call for Switzerland to be added to a tax haven blacklist, the foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Germany’s ambassador to Bern to express its “surprise and discontent”. “One does not treat a partner country in such a way,” Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey said. Calmy-Rey took exception to Peer Steinbrück’s “violent”…

Swiss Politics

Blacklist remarks spark diplomatic spat

This content was published on Oct 22, 2008 It follows a joint press conference by the German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück and French Budget Minister Eric Woerth on Tuesday, in which they said Switzerland deserved to be added to a list of non-transparent tax havens. Despite a low-key response by the finance ministry to the remarks, Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey has since been…

Swiss Politics

Turks convicted of denying Armenian genocide

This content was published on Oct 21, 2008 They were ordered to pay up to SFr6,500 ($5,630) each for violating Swiss anti-racism legislation, but part of the fine was suspended over three years according to a statement by the Winterthur court on Tuesday. The defence lawyer said he would appeal the verdict, although it is milder than the sentence demanded by the prosecutor.…

Swiss Politics

Plan to stop child sex abuse deemed unworkable

This content was published on Oct 21, 2008 A pressure group has collected enough signatures for a nationwide vote on the issue, due to take place on November 30. However, parliament and most political parties have come out against the plan and instead favour of a compromise forwarded by the government. Widmer-Schlumpf said it would be very difficult to implement the proposal by…

Swiss Politics

Strong states hurt international institutions

This content was published on Oct 21, 2008 That confidence has been broken by the return of state force, Pierre Hazan, a Geneva-based specialist in international justice, tells swissinfo. In 1998, when 120 states adopted the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the days of the dictator seemed numbered. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia indicted the Serbian leader…

Swiss Politics

Aid organisations help Cuban hurricane victims

This content was published on Oct 18, 2008 Every year hurricanes sweep across the Caribbean leaving carnage in their wake, but even by those standards Gustav and Ike were particularly devastating. In Cuba they razed 65,000 homes, destroyed 450,000 roofs and caused untold damage to factories, tobacco-drying facilities, schools and cinemas. A quarter of a million people across eight provinces were left homeless.…

Swiss Politics

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Swiss Politics

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Leuenberger proposes plan to dim electricity price hikes

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Federal Court overturns swimming ruling

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The right to vote

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Switzerland rallies for nuclear disarmament

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German anger meets Swiss wrath in tax row

More

Blacklist remarks spark diplomatic spat

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Turks convicted of denying Armenian genocide

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Plan to stop child sex abuse deemed unworkable

More

Strong states hurt international institutions

More

Aid organisations help Cuban hurricane victims

Popular Stories

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