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Swiss Politics

Women keep up the fight for a political role

This content was published on Dec 9, 2004 The action comes on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the December 10 elections, in which just one woman was elected to the federal government. The December 10 Declaration is signed by women from across the political spectrum and includes women from the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, the centre-right Radical and Christian Democrats, as…

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Swiss Politics

Parliament endorses closer ties with EU

This content was published on Dec 8, 2004 As expected, the House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead in endorsing the Schengen/Dublin accord, which also covers asylum. The treaty was one of six accords approved on Wednesday. They form part of a second set of bilateral agreements with the EU. The House of Representatives approved two other accords – the fight against customs…

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Swiss Politics

Schmid is new Swiss president

This content was published on Dec 8, 2004 Schmid was handed the rotating presidency following a ballot held by both houses of parliament in a joint session on Wednesday. He replaces the incumbent Joseph Deiss, the economics minister, and will take up his post on January 1. It is the first time that Schmid has been elected to the presidency. Transport Minister Moritz…

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Swiss Politics

Senate confirms military support for Davos

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 After last week’s approval by the Swiss House of Representatives, the Senate on Monday voted in favour of deploying a maximum of 6,500 military personnel. Voting in the chamber, which represents the Swiss cantons, was 29 in favour and eight against. Only the left was against the presence of the army at Davos, canton Graubünden,…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss democracy given a beating in Paris

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 Among the provocative images by Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn is a theatre piece showing someone urinating on a poster of Blocher. The Arts Council of Switzerland, Pro Helvetia, which funded the show, says it supports the project – “Swiss Swiss Democracy” – but has distanced itself from the attack on Blocher. The artist says his…

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Swiss Politics

Becoming Swiss no longer costs a fortune

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 This means that the cost of becoming Swiss will no longer run into the tens of thousands of francs, as has been the case for many people in the past. The government on Monday decided that a modification of the law on nationality would come into force on January 1, 2006. Explaining the new procedure,…

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Swiss Politics

Defence ministry announces drastic cutbacks

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 The cuts are part of a series of planned measures to drastically reduce spending and axe hundreds of jobs within six years. Under the proposal, presented by the defence minister, Samuel Schmid, and the army chief, Christophe Keckeis, on Monday, 1,800 jobs in the logistics sector of the armed forces will be axed by 2010.…

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Swiss Politics

Number of cross-border workers rises

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 But it also showed that – despite fears to the contrary – the number of immigrants from the European Union did not rise significantly. The number of immigrants increased by 7,700 between June and August of this year, according to a survey by the Swiss ats news agency, published on Monday. Border regions also reported…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss seek progress on biological weapons

This content was published on Dec 6, 2004 The Swiss say they are hoping to avoid a repeat of the last review conference, which collapsed amid disagreement over how to enforce the ban on biological weapons. Two years ago a proposal, which would have compelled countries to submit to inspections, was shelved under pressure from the United States. The US said the system…

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Swiss Politics

Nations renew pledge to rid world of mines

This content was published on Dec 3, 2004 The 144 participating countries approved a five-year action plan, committing them to destroy stockpiles and push ahead with demining efforts. The meeting was the first five-year review of the 1997 Ottawa Convention on Landmines, which came into force in 1999. Switzerland’s state secretary for foreign affairs, Franz von Däniken, told swissinfo the action plan was…

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