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Swiss Politics

Swiss abroad make their voices heard

This content was published on Apr 12, 2008 The appeal was made in a resolution by the political arm of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad at a meeting on Saturday in the capital, Bern. It called on the cabinet and parliament not to cut the schools’ budget – currently SFr20 million ($19.98 million) annually. Members of the Council argued that the schools…

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Thousands support beleaguered justice minister

This content was published on Apr 11, 2008 The demonstration outside parliament coincided with an ultimatum for the minister to either give up her cabinet post or her party card by Friday. Widmer-Schlumpf repeated she would not give in. “You came here not only for me, but because doubt has been cast on our democratic institutions,” she told the gathering, estimated by police…

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Supporters rally as minister says she will stay

This content was published on Apr 11, 2008 The protest outside parliament coincided with a party ultimatum for the minister to either give up her cabinet post or her party card by Friday. Widmer-Schlumpf said she would not give in. Widmer-Schlumpf, in defiance of party bosses and backed by the government, used the occasion instead to set out her goals for the next…

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Green groups aim to reclaim cities from cars

This content was published on Apr 10, 2008 The move, by traffic and environment group umverkehR, aims to increase the use of public transport and bicycles in these cities by ten per cent in the next decade. To highlight the launch members of umverkerR and other organisations gathered at Basel’s Heuwaage Viaduct, a notoriously busy part of the city, where they unfurled a…

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Swiss Politics

Switzerland overhauls its “good offices”

This content was published on Apr 10, 2008 Thomas Greminger says it is worth it as peace promotion is beginning to bear fruit, with fewer conflicts being re-ignited despite the occasional high-profile failure. The official is convinced Switzerland is ideally positioned to pursue an important role in helping broker peace deals. Since 2000 it has been involved in 20 mediation processes in 15…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss help promote dialogue in Cyprus

This content was published on Apr 9, 2008 The project forms part of efforts to overcome economic and social disparities within the European Union, said the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) on Wednesday. The centre will be located in the buffer zone that separates the Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations. It aims to promote dialogue between the two by holding cultural…

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Swiss Politics

Jewish group attacks Swiss-Iranian gas deal

This content was published on Apr 8, 2008 The Swiss foreign ministry for its part repeated that the agreement violates neither United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme or US laws. “As the Swiss government pursues its own narrow economic interests, it is bankrolling the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism,” declared one of the messages in the…

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Swiss Politics

Rights’ records come under UN gaze

This content was published on Apr 7, 2008 Observers are warning the council’s credibility depends on the success of the new mechanism. Switzerland is due to go before the review on May 8. Over the next two weeks, the first 16 countries will have their human rights records examined by a UPR working group, including Bahrain, Britain, India, Brazil, Algeria, South Africa, and…

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Swiss Politics

OSCE calls for more transparency in funding

This content was published on Apr 6, 2008 It made the recommendation in a report on last October’s Swiss parliamentary elections. The Vienna-based organisation, of which Switzerland is a member, said the issue of financing had become “increasingly controversial” in the country. An OSCE mission invited to observe the elections said many people had indicated that undisclosed funding allowed powerful interest groups and…

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People’s Party backs ultimatum action

This content was published on Apr 5, 2008 At a meeting in Lungern in central Switzerland, they gave a round of applause to a vote on Friday by the party’s central committee approving an ultimatum for her to step down. There was no debate on the ultimatum at Saturday’s meeting. Neither Widmer-Schlumpf nor Defence Minister Samuel Schmid, also under pressure from the party,…

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