Swiss Politics

Swiss consider future of Uzbek aid projects

This content was published on May 17, 2005 The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is waiting for more news before deciding how to proceed with development-aid projects it supports in the eastern Fergana Valley. Violence erupted in the Uzbek town of Andijan last week, after protesters stormed a prison and freed inmates. Witnesses said government troops opened fire on a crowd…

Swiss Politics

swissinfo – banner – Schengen/Dublin

This content was published on May 17, 2005 An in-depth look at a crucial vote on Swiss ties with the European Union.

Swiss Politics

Number of cross-border commuters stabilises

This content was published on May 17, 2005 The Federal Statistics Office said there were 174,700 such workers in the country at the end of 2004 – only 3.2 per cent more than the previous year. According to the report, the number of cross-border commuters has risen by 27 per cent since 1999 and made up 4.2 per cent of those working in…

Swiss Politics

Swiss split on compulsory military service

This content was published on May 15, 2005 The principle of compulsory military service is inherent to the militia system, which plays a large part in Swiss tradition and identity. According to the survey in Le Matin Dimanche, 50 per cent of Swiss French are against conscription compared with only 27 per cent of Swiss Germans. Reversing the question, 45 per cent of…

Swiss Politics

Speaker calls for spirit of openness

This content was published on May 13, 2005 The Christian Democrat member for Fribourg spoke to swissinfo as she prepared to chair her second parliamentary session beginning on May 30. The position of speaker is considered the highest office in the country. Meyer was elected in March to replace Jean-Philippe Maitre, who stood down after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. swissinfo: Switzerland…

Swiss Politics

Engineer to be extradited in nuclear probe

This content was published on May 13, 2005 Swiss prosecutors want to establish whether Urs Tinner breached the country’s law on war materials by illegally exporting nuclear bomb-making equipment to the North African nation. Prosecutors in the German city of Cologne said on Friday that the 40-year-old Swiss would be handed over within the next few days. Hansjürg Mark Wiedmer, spokesman for the…

Swiss Politics

Schengen/Dublin campaign turned on its head

This content was published on May 12, 2005 The parties and organisations backing a “yes” vote are using provocative posters and slogans to sway voters ahead of the nationwide ballot on June 5. “Warning to all criminals: Schengen/Dublin gives the police more powers” is the message on a poster showing someone in handcuffs. This is a typical theme for a campaign by the…

Swiss Politics

The cost of staying out of Dublin

This content was published on May 11, 2005 If voters opt to join Schengen/Dublin in a ballot on Sunday, Swiss officials will be able to identify quickly and at minimal cost whether an asylum seeker has already applied in another Schengen country. Unofficial estimates suggest that approximately 20 per cent of asylum applications in Switzerland are second applications, according to the Integration Office.…

Swiss Politics

Voting rights for foreigners gaining ground

This content was published on May 11, 2005 At the end of April, the people of Geneva decided to grant foreign residents the right to vote – a right that already exists in several Swiss cantons. Fifty-two per cent of the canton’s citizens said yes to a proposal to introduce voting rights for foreigners in local authority elections. Consequently, on April 25, Geneva…

Swiss Politics

Schengen vote threatens government cohesion

This content was published on May 11, 2005 Political analyst Julian Hottinger told swissinfo that the justice minister was caught between his obligation to toe the government line and the demands of his rightwing People’s Party. Blocher broke cabinet ranks on Sunday by declaring his opposition to the Schengen/Dublin accords on fighting crime and asylum. Under the principles of collegiality the seven cabinet…

Swiss Politics

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Swiss Politics

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Swiss consider future of Uzbek aid projects

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swissinfo – banner – Schengen/Dublin

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Number of cross-border commuters stabilises

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Swiss split on compulsory military service

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Speaker calls for spirit of openness

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Engineer to be extradited in nuclear probe

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Schengen/Dublin campaign turned on its head

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The cost of staying out of Dublin

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Voting rights for foreigners gaining ground

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Schengen vote threatens government cohesion

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