Swiss Politics

Swiss president and his party at loggerheads

This content was published on Nov 6, 2005 The People’s Party president, Ueli Maurer, has harshly criticised Schmid’s suggestion that cabinet ministers should distance themselves from their parties. Speaking in the Sunday newspaper, SonntagsZeitung, Maurer said it was the duty of government ministers to remain loyal to their parties. If Schmid, Maurer warned, refused to represent the core values of the party going…

Swiss Politics

Swiss demand more transparency at UN

This content was published on Nov 5, 2005 But the United States and Russia – both on the Security Council – dismissed the Swiss draft resolution, fearing a weakening of their influence. Peter Maurer, Switzerland’s ambassador to the UN in New York – together with colleagues from Costa Rica, Jordan, Liechtenstein and Singapore – handed the proposal to all UN member states on…

Swiss Politics

Austrian war children return to Switzerland

This content was published on Nov 4, 2005 The ceremony was attended by the Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, and her Austrian counterpart, Ursula Plassnik. Addressing the now elderly Austrians who took part in the project and members of their Swiss host families, Calmy-Rey said children were still the innocent victims of war. At the end of the Second World War, the Swiss…

Swiss Politics

Young Swiss seek political recognition

This content was published on Nov 4, 2005 Although previous efforts to influence political decision-making have had little impact, they are determined to keep up the pressure. Young parliamentarians are looking at new ways of making their mark on politics, spokesman Christoph Musy said on Friday. The youth parliament has been in session since Thursday. The participants, ranging in age from 14 to…

Swiss Politics

Mine clearers halt work in Sudan after ambush

This content was published on Nov 3, 2005 The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) said it did not know who was behind the attack earlier this week on a convoy of workers. The FSD said that a mine clearance team working for the United Nations World Food Programme’s road reconstruction and rehabilitation programme was ambushed on Monday. The workers had been on…

Swiss Politics

ICRC president visits earthquake region

This content was published on Nov 1, 2005 He said food and accommodation must be provided so that people affected by the earthquake on October 8 can remain near their villages. “A further break-up of community life would make the psychological trauma that these people have suffered even worse,” Kellenberger said. “Our top priority now is saving lives and protecting existing livelihoods during…

Swiss Politics

North African refugees helped to return home

This content was published on Nov 1, 2005 But it decided not to expel rejected Iraqi asylum seekers, who will be allowed to stay on in Switzerland temporarily. The Swiss programme for North Africans will run until October 31, 2007 and is aimed at around 2,400 nationals from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania who applied for asylum in Switzerland before November 1,…

Swiss Politics

Historic SMS vote deemed ballot box success

This content was published on Oct 30, 2005 More than 11 per cent of the electorate used the Short Messaging System (SMS) to cast their vote in a local poll on Sunday. The ballot is part of a series of trials in several regions of the country to introduce e-voting nationwide. Officials said 445 citizens of Bülach – or 11.6 per cent –…

Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey eyes “membership light” with EU

This content was published on Oct 30, 2005 But Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin said the current policy of strengthening ties through bilateral treaties with Brussels would go a long way. Calmy-Rey said a status quo in relations with the EU was unrealistic. “We have to prepare for all eventualities. New questions will arise, also within the EU,” Calmy-Rey told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. She…

Swiss Politics

Swiss in search of neutral global aid symbol

This content was published on Oct 29, 2005 On Saturday she met both her Egyptian counterpart and the president of the country’s first aid service, before travelling to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon. The Swiss foreign minister’s whirlwind three-day tour is part of efforts by Switzerland – the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions – to find a new humanitarian emblem. Switzerland…

Swiss Politics

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