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Swiss Politics

EU and Swiss still deadlocked over tax evasion

This content was published on Feb 16, 2004 Deiss told the Irish government that Bern would only sign an agreement on tax evasion along with eight other treaties being negotiated. The Swiss economics ministry said on Monday that both sides were sticking to their respective positions. Ireland currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. The Irish finance minister, Charlie McGreevy, reiterated the EU’s demand…

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Times change for parliamentary aides

This content was published on Feb 12, 2004 But others prefer to rely on their – mostly unpaid – wives to do the bulk of their administrative work. “I couldn’t do all this work by myself,” said Social Democrat Evi Allemann, who, at 26 years old, is the youngest parliamentarian in the House of Representatives. An increase in the allowance she receives from…

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Swiss Politics

Cabinet refuses to be gagged

This content was published on Feb 11, 2004 The rightwing Swiss People’s Party had earlier attacked government ministers for criticising some parliamentary decisions. In Switzerland policies drawn up by the seven-strong cabinet, which is made up of ministers from the four main parties, can be amended by parliament. The Swiss president, Joseph Deiss, said on Wednesday that the cabinet should be allowed to…

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Swiss Politics

Switzerland rejects EU tax demand

This content was published on Feb 10, 2004 In a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, EU finance ministers said the time had come for Switzerland to agree a tax cooperation accord with the 15-nation bloc. But Swiss finance minister Hans-Rudolf Merz rejected the latest EU appeal, saying that Switzerland would not sign the accord until stalled negotiations on closer security cooperation and tax…

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Swiss Politics

Christian Democrats seek political salvation

This content was published on Feb 10, 2004 But with no candidates to choose from, the leadership vote has been postponed until September. The failure to find a president is the latest in a string of setbacks to have bedevilled the party. In last October’s parliamentary elections its share of the vote shrank to a record low; then in December, one of the…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss politics gains new vigour

This content was published on Feb 10, 2004 The success of the rightwing in October’s parliamentary elections has helped to reinvigorate political debate in the country. The Social Democrats, Radicals and Christian Democrats have all issued statements, calling for clearer manifestos that better reflect their core values. “This phenomenon is linked to the elections of October 19,” says Pascal Sciarini, political scientist at…

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Swiss Politics

Women politicians join forces

This content was published on Feb 5, 2004 Female parliamentarians are planning to hold a national congress next year to raise awareness of women’s issues. Female politicians received a wake-up call on December 10 when the justice minister, Ruth Metzler, was dumped in favour of the populist hardliner, Christoph Blocher. Christine Beerli, a candidate from the centre-right Radical Party, was also turned down…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss gain from EU fears over open borders

This content was published on Feb 4, 2004 Swiss negotiators won concessions on Wednesday after some EU states said that they wanted delays in allowing freedom of movement to new EU nationals. The agreement means that citizens from the ten new EU member states will have to wait a few years more before all work and residency restrictions are lifted. Dieter Grossen, chief…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss communes merge in struggle to survive

This content was published on Feb 4, 2004 Many have begun merging with one another in their struggle to muster the funds and the qualified staff necessary for survival. Last year, a municipality in canton Thurgau published a series of adverts in the national press as part of its search for a mayor, after no local candidates applied for the post. Many communes…

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Swiss Politics

Foreigners in Vaud flex their voting muscle

This content was published on Feb 2, 2004 Pro-integration campaigners hope the move will spark a nationwide trend towards giving non-Swiss a greater say in politics. “When foreigners don’t have a voice, the political decisions taken are not as creative or representative and tend to be based on prejudices,” said Ron Halbright of the National Coalition Building Institute’s Zurich chapter. “I hope that…

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