Swiss Politics

Parliament ditches army procurement plan

This content was published on Mar 17, 2005 At the centre of the debate was the acquisition of two air transporters – a move opposed by the House of Representatives. On Thursday the House of Representatives threw out the proposal by 97 votes to 82. In doing so, it went against the Senate and a parliamentary conciliation committee, which recommended buying the aircraft.…

Swiss Politics

Swiss-Israeli arms deals to restart

This content was published on Mar 16, 2005 The announcement came after talks on Wednesday between Swiss president and defence minister, Samuel Schmid, and the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon. A defence ministry spokesman said Schmid informed Sharon during their meeting in Jerusalem that the Swiss government wanted to normalise trade relations with Israel. Last month, the ministry expressed its interest in buying…

Swiss Politics

Swiss aim for solidarity on women’s day

This content was published on Mar 8, 2005 In Bern, 7,000 postcards calling for more action on violence against women were sent to the government from organisations across the country. The postcards, sent by non-governmental organisations and women’s groups, demanded the proper application of United Nations Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. They also called on Bern to stop exporting arms to…

Swiss Politics

Thérèse Meyer elected speaker of the House

This content was published on Mar 8, 2005 Tuesday’s election of Meyer, a Christian Democrat from canton Fribourg, coincides with International Women’s Day. Elected by an overwhelming majority to what is considered to be the highest office in the country, Meyer succeeds party colleague Jean-Philippe Maitre. Maitre, who is suffering from a brain tumour, stepped down from office last week to a standing…

Swiss Politics

Women soldiers battle for equality

This content was published on Mar 8, 2005 In the past seven years, the number of female applicants for military service has doubled, bringing the total to 1,400 in active service. Women have to undergo the same physical and psychological tests as men before admission to recruitment school, where both sexes undertake 18 weeks of basic training. As with male conscripts, they are…

Swiss Politics

Immigration boosts population growth

This content was published on Mar 7, 2005 The total population now stands at 7.42 million, with Italians making up the largest foreign community. The number of foreign residents in Switzerland rose by 54,200 people in 2004, according to official figures published on Monday. The Germans were the fastest growing foreign community, with their numbers increasing by 11,228 to 114,864. But the Italians…

Swiss Politics

Radicals elect new president

This content was published on Mar 5, 2005 At a party meeting on Saturday, the 54-year-old Pelli received 228 votes, 78 more than his challenger, Georges Theiler. The Italian-speaking Pelli replaces Rolf Schweiger who stepped down for health reasons in November after only seven months in the job. After the vote, Pelli called on party delegates to stand united. He had the backing…

Support for Schengen slips as vote draws closer

This content was published on Mar 4, 2005 But the third poll to date on whether Switzerland should sign up to the EU’s Schengen/Dublin accords shows that 59 per cent of voters are still in favour. The electorate is likely to have the final say on joining Schengen/Dublin because the rightwing Swiss People’s Party is expected to collect enough signatures by the end…

Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey ends South American visit

This content was published on Mar 2, 2005 Calmy-Rey met her counterparts in Argentina, Peru and Uruguay, during the first visit to the region by a Swiss foreign minister in nearly a decade. Economic and legal issues – particularly double taxation and money laundering – were high on the agenda during the talks. Referring to legal relations between Switzerland and the three countries,…

Swiss Politics

Deiss talks tax breaks with major US firm

This content was published on Mar 1, 2005 The Swiss authorities are hoping to persuade the unnamed firm to build a production plant in western Switzerland rather than go abroad. Evelyn Kobelt, spokeswoman for the economics ministry, confirmed a report in Tuesday’s Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that Deiss had met two representatives from the US pharmaceutical group. She said the firm’s representatives had presented their…

Swiss Politics

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Swiss Politics

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Parliament ditches army procurement plan

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Swiss-Israeli arms deals to restart

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Swiss aim for solidarity on women’s day

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Thérèse Meyer elected speaker of the House

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Women soldiers battle for equality

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Immigration boosts population growth

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Radicals elect new president

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Support for Schengen slips as vote draws closer

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Calmy-Rey ends South American visit

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Deiss talks tax breaks with major US firm

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