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Swiss Politics

Helbling named as second vice-chancellor

This content was published on Feb 20, 2008 Lawyer Thomas Helbling will take over as second vice-chancellor on June 1. The post has been vacant since January 1, when a new chancellor, Corina Casanova took office. The two houses of parliament elected Casanova on December 12. Helbling’s duties will include assisting Casanova and vice-chancellor Oswald Sigg in preparing cabinet meetings and in their…

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Musharraf made to pay for “war on terror”

This content was published on Feb 20, 2008 The ruling party that backs the president suffered a heavy defeat in Monday’s elections, with the two main opposition parties securing a majority of seats in parliament. Despite the poor result, Musharraf has refused to resign. Pakistan experienced something of a democratic revolution on polling day. Musharraf, who had a firm grip on power in…

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Swiss Politics

Green Party

This content was published on Feb 20, 2008 In 1991 it won 6.1 per cent of the vote and 14 seats in the House of Representatives. However, the party could not hold onto the seats as support by voters subsequently dropped. The party was back on a winning streak in the past two parliamentary elections. In the 2007 polls the Greens took 9.6…

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Swiss Politics

Bern BE

This content was published on Feb 19, 2008 Cantonal government: Cantonal parliament: Political representation in the national parliament House of Representatives: Swiss People’s Party (8 seats):Adrian Amstutz, Ursula Haller, Rudolf Joder, Fritz Abraham Oehrli, Simon Schenk, Walter Schmied, Hansruedi Wandfluh, Hermann Weyeneth Social Democratic Party (8 seats):Evi Allemann, André Daguet, Paul Günter, Margret Kiener Nellen, Hans Stöckli, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold, Peter Vollmer, Ursula Wyss…

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Swiss Politics

“It’s like discovering another planet”

This content was published on Feb 18, 2008 Besim Haziri, who has lived in Geneva for 14 years, tells swissinfo why he feels like a different person after the birth of the world’s newest nation. Dressed in his white chef’s outfit, Haziri sits down at a table next to me in between preparing lunch at the Université Populaire Albanaise, an educational centre founded…

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Swiss Politics

Sports specialists say shape up for Euro 2008

This content was published on Feb 18, 2008 A sports week in May is to put the focus on exercise for people to be ready for the following month’s Euro 2008 football championship being co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria. At a news conference in Bern on Monday, the defence ministry – which is also responsible for sport – said 64 per cent of…

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Swiss Politics

Kosovo’s independence meets mixed response

This content was published on Feb 18, 2008 European Union member countries are considering a response to Sunday’s move, while the United Nations Security Council failed to agree on a common stance. The Zurich-based Tages-Anzeiger newspaper describes Kosovo’s decision as a baptism of fire and the birth of a new European nation as somewhat flawed. “The enthusiasm of the Kosovars might be huge,…

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Swiss Politics

Kosovo declares independence from Serbia

This content was published on Feb 17, 2008 Across Switzerland, which in 2005 became the first state worldwide to call for formal independence, thousands of Kosovars celebrated the birth of the world’s newest country on Sunday afternoon by driving through towns and waving flags. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey on Sunday repeated Switzerland’s “total support” for Kosovo and said the issue of recognising…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss welcome key step in trafficking fight

This content was published on Feb 15, 2008 Guillaume Scheurer, a top official in the foreign ministry, said that the process for more action had been launched and that it was now up to both private and public actors to get involved. The three-day Vienna Forum, which finished on Friday, attracted at least 1,000 participants from around 100 countries. Government representatives, civil society,…

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Swiss Politics

Government backs ban on cat skins export

This content was published on Feb 15, 2008 The Swiss government announced on Thursday that it is prepared to adapt the animal protection law to ban the trade, including the export of skins. Their import is already forbidden. The move will put Swiss law in line with recent EU legislation. The government was responding to a parliamentary motion submitted by House of Representatives…

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