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Swiss Politics

German citizenship law to boost Swiss expats

This content was published on Sep 1, 2007 The move also paves the way for an increasing number of long-time German residents in Switzerland to acquire Swiss citizenship without losing their German – and European Union – passport. The authorities in Berlin last week became one of the last EU member countries to lift a ban on dual citizenship. Last year there were…

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Swiss Politics

Radicals lose ground as elections draw closer

This content was published on Aug 31, 2007 Support for the Green Party, which is hoping to become a significant new force in parliament, has declined slightly and fallen below the ten per cent mark. If the elections were held today, the rightwing Swiss People’s Party would gain 26.2 per cent of the votes, and the centre-left Social Democratic Party 22.8 per cent,…

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Swiss Politics

People’s Party accused of “racist” campaign

This content was published on Aug 30, 2007 On Wednesday Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey denounced posters depicting three white sheep booting a black sheep out of the country as “irresponsible” and liable to incite racial hatred. “I think it is important that there are people in this country who have the courage to stand up and denounce this type of campaign, which to…

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Swiss Politics

Cabinet backs childcare voucher system

This content was published on Aug 30, 2007 Pascal Couchepin announced the authorities were prepared to back a series of pilot projects over the next three years that should give parents much-needed flexibility when paying for childcare services. “Child daycare options should be adapted to the needs of the parents,” Couchepin told journalists on Thursday at his annual media outing to St Peter’s…

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Swiss Politics

Ex-diplomat takes foreign policy to task

This content was published on Aug 27, 2007 In an interview with swissinfo, Jagmetti, who stepped down ten years ago amid controversy over dormant Holocaust assets in Swiss banks, considers Switzerland’s image abroad. His comments came as Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey on Monday opened this year’s ambassadors’ conference in the capital, Bern – a gathering of senior representatives from Switzerland’s diplomatic service and…

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Swiss Politics

Cheese smells of international incident

This content was published on Aug 24, 2007 The new Tilsit in the eastern canton of Thurgau is the home of the Wartmann family which has been closely tied to the cheese variety since 1893. That was when Otto Wartmann brought the recipe back from the original Tilsit in the former East Prussia. Earlier this month, the Holzhof farmstead officially became Tilsit. The…

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Swiss Politics

Parties battle it out for centre stage

This content was published on Aug 21, 2007 The rightwing Swiss People’s Party and the centre-right Christian Democratic Party took advantage of the summer lull to try to appeal to the public using methods that were poles apart. On August 1, the People’s Party inundated the nation’s letter boxes with an initiative calling for foreigners who have committed a crime to be thrown…

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Swiss Politics

Expats enter long-distance election race

This content was published on Aug 20, 2007 The motives could not be more different, as swissinfo learned from three members of the Swiss Abroad community at a congress last weekend in Geneva. In his polo shirt, and with his white shock of hair and distinctive Swiss-German dialect of Schaffhausen, Edgar Studer is somehow a typical Swiss if appearances are anything to go…

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Swiss Politics

Some religions are more welcome than others

This content was published on Aug 20, 2007 For while some non-native religions have proved easy bedfellows for the Swiss, others – notably Islam – have found it more difficult to be accepted. So much so in the case of Islam that Swiss Muslims currently face the prospect of seeing the construction of minarets put to a nationwide vote. The rightwing campaign to…

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Swiss Politics

Thousands displaced by crisis in Afghanistan

This content was published on Aug 20, 2007 Walter Kälin, the United Nations representative for the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), says the dangerous security situation in the country means it is almost impossible to get help to those in need. “Humanitarian access is a huge problem and is very limited. Humanitarian workers have been killed, have been attacked and right…

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