Swiss Politics

Geneva welcomes hundreds of expatriate Swiss

This content was published on Aug 16, 2007 Rudolf Wyder, director of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, tells swissinfo that education cuts and the shrinking consular network are just some of the concerns shared by expatriates. swissinfo: What is the point of a congress, such as the one you’re holding in Geneva? Rudolf Wyder: These congresses are always dedicated to a theme…

Swiss Politics

Parties take political aim at Swiss abroad

This content was published on Aug 15, 2007 Most are on the list of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party. Its biggest rival, the centre-left Social Democrats, have failed to field any candidates. Switzerland’s main political parties appear to be waking up to the potential of voters who live abroad. At present, almost one in ten Swiss – around 650,000 people – live in…

Swiss Politics

Olympic fever grips Beijing ahead of 2008 Games

This content was published on Aug 8, 2007 The head of the Swiss Olympic delegation, Werner Augsburger, was among the country representatives attending the spectacle on Tiananmen Square 12 months ahead of the opening ceremony. More than a million people made their way to the city park as sunshine broke through the smog for the first time this week on Wednesday. Security was…

Swiss Politics

Swiss-Indian move to combat counterfeiting

This content was published on Aug 7, 2007 The deal came during a visit to India by Leuthard who is looking to improve conditions for Swiss companies in the country. The memorandum of understanding, which was signed in New Delhi on Tuesday, establishes a working group to prevent the production, distribution and sale of counterfeit products, according to an economics ministry statement. “It…

Swiss Politics

Politicians discover dimensions of cyberspace

This content was published on Aug 6, 2007 But so-called blogs, video clips, podcasts and chat forums are not as common as in the United States and France. Communications Minister Moritz Leuenberger attracted considerable media attention when he launched his blog – a form of interactive diary – earlier this year. He is not the only politician in Switzerland to venture into the…

Swiss Politics

Greens profit from environment fears

This content was published on Aug 3, 2007 The Green Party, currently the fifth-largest in Switzerland, looks set to capitalise on this to make gains at the polls in October. The fifth election barometer carried out by the gfs.institute on behalf of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo’s parent company – shows that if votes were cast now, the Greens would gain 10.3…

Swiss Politics

Arms control talks limp along in Geneva

This content was published on Aug 3, 2007 Ambassador Jürg Streuli said on Thursday that time was running out to make progress this year on the package, which includes issues such as the demilitarisation of outer space. Streuli, the current president of the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD), said opposition from three countries – China, Pakistan and Iran – was blocking efforts to…

Swiss Politics

Swiss president calls for more integration

This content was published on Aug 1, 2007 Police on Wednesday prevented dozens of rightwing extremists – who have in previous years disrupted the celebrations – from reaching the site, which is near Lake Lucerne. In her speech, Calmy-Rey said she understood that some people feared losing their identity, but she said that peaceful coexistence with other cultures was the only solution. It…

Swiss Politics

Swiss National Day

This content was published on Jul 31, 2007

Iraqi refugee crisis reaches breaking point

This content was published on Jul 31, 2007 Delegates at the meeting in the Syrian capital, Damascus, warned that health and other basic services in the two countries were being overwhelmed. Among those attending the conference, which ended on Monday, were the Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).…

Swiss Politics

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