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Swiss Politics

At least one dead on military exercise

This content was published on Jun 12, 2008 The defence ministry confirmed on Thursday that another five men were now in hospital – two in a serious condition – but was unable to give the precise cause of the accident. The alarm was raised around 11:30 am. Two dinghies tipped over on the river. Swiss radio reports said the stretch of the river…

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Swiss Politics

Parliament decides on EU accord

This content was published on Jun 12, 2008 The plan to prolong the free movement of people treaty as well as extending the accord to the EU’s two newest members, Romania and Bulgaria, will be presented to the electorate in a single package. On Thursday, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in approving a motion to combine the two issues. They will…

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Swiss Politics

Swisscoy mission to Kosovo extended

This content was published on Jun 11, 2008 The 220-strong unit, part of the multinational Kosovo force (Kfor), has been in the region since 1999. The Senate on Wednesday unanimously backed the House of Representatives in supporting the continuation of the mission in Kosovo which declared independence from Serbia in February. Speakers pointed out that stability in the Balkan region was in the…

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Congress calls for Schmid’s departure

This content was published on Jun 7, 2008 Members of the Zurich cantonal chapter made the call at a congress on Saturday, citing the need to clarify the party’s internal situation ahead of federal elections in 2011. The party is facing increasing internal tension in a row over Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. The party has moved to ban Widmer-Schlumpf and her Graubünden chapter,…

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Swiss Politics

“Relations with Switzerland are excellent”

This content was published on Jun 6, 2008 The former Portuguese Prime Minister, who has been in his post at the EC since November 2004, begins his first official trip to Switzerland on Friday. He is due to meet five cabinet ministers, including this year’s president, Pascal Couchepin, to discuss bilateral relations between the 27-nation bloc and Switzerland. The row over corporate tax…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss papers reserved about Obama’s chances

This content was published on Jun 5, 2008 But while some newspapers focus on the black senator’s skin colour, others insist race will not be the deciding factor in November’s vote, and say there are still a lot of question marks about Obama. Some of the French-language papers have high hopes that Obama’s candidature can lead to reconciliation between the races. The Tribune…

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Swiss Politics

Consensus system intact despite party squabble

This content was published on Jun 4, 2008 But Zurich University political scientist Michael Hermann tells swissinfo that Switzerland is unlikely to abolish its consensus system in the seven-member cabinet. The People’s Party has been subject to internal tensions between hardliners and liberal members for several years. The situation took a turn for the worse after the controversial cabinet minister and People’s Party…

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Swiss Politics

People’s Party row looks set to escalate

This content was published on Jun 2, 2008 Liberal members of the Bern cantonal chapter have announced they are planning to set up their own party to protest against the hardline policy of the national leadership. The opponents include Defence Minister Samuel Schmid – who has been sitting in the cabinet for more than seven years. Party officials said Schmid’s announcement that he…

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Swiss Politics

Anti-corruption policy demanded

This content was published on Jun 2, 2008 The Group of States Against Corruption published its first evaluation report on Switzerland on Monday, made public with the agreement of the federal authorities. The report praised Swiss efforts since 2000 to prevent, detect and punish corruption. However it said that more needed to be done in connection, for example, with public procurement and tendering,…

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Swiss Politics

Vote was major blow for People’s Party

This content was published on Jun 2, 2008 Most editorialists agreed that the self-designated opposition party had come undone after voters rejected three proposals it had backed, including reintroducing the ballot box for naturalisation procedures. For Zurich’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung, voters gave the People’s Party a lesson it shouldn’t forget. “It’s not the fact that they lost that should make them think, but…

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