Swiss Politics Archives - Page 1175 of 1338

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Swiss Politics

Swiss fail to break deadlock over EU bilaterals

This content was published on Feb 2, 2004 But the European Commission also says it will not make any more concessions to Switzerland on the main sticking points. Calmy-Rey met the European Commission president, Romano Prodi, and EU Commissioner, Chris Patten, in Brussels on Monday. Patten said after the meeting that a number of thorny issues remained to be resolved, including closer security…

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Government admits defeat in Sunday’s votes

This content was published on Jan 29, 2004 Voters turned down plans to ease traffic congestion and to change the law on rents, but voted in favour of a people’s initiative to lock up violent offenders for life. The Swiss president, Joseph Deiss, said that both the people and the cantons had given an unambiguous thumbs down to the government and parliament in…

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Davos forum ends on upbeat note

This content was published on Jan 26, 2004 And, as the mountain resort returns to normal, most will be wondering whether the meeting has achieved any concrete results. “The mood is more important than the facts,” said Philippe Bourguignon, the WEF’s co-chief executive officer. “The facts may be extremely difficult to face, but if you face them in a good psychological environment, you…

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Price watchdog comes under pressure

This content was published on Jan 23, 2004 But the price watchdog is very popular in pricey Switzerland, the only European country to have the office enshrined in the constitution. The watchdog’s boss, Werner Marti, is quitting to join the race for leadership of the centre-left Social Democratic Party. He is angry with the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, which launched a people’s initiative…

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World Social Forum wraps up in Mumbai

This content was published on Jan 21, 2004 The world’s biggest anti-globalisation gathering was attended by some 100,000 people from 132 countries, including Switzerland. The 50-strong Swiss delegation was made up of parliamentarians, trade unionists and members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “I was impressed by the human aspect of the forum,” said Bernard Fragnière, president of the Swiss NGO, E-Changer. “It was a…

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Deiss opens Davos with call for trade talks

This content was published on Jan 21, 2004 Welcoming more than 2,100 participants to the Swiss mountain resort, Deiss also called for greater global efforts to prevent conflicts. “I appeal to the representatives of the business community to assume their share of social and ethical responsibility,” he said. Deiss, who is Switzerland’s economics minister, formally launched a drive to inject new life into…

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Davos welcomes annual talkfest

This content was published on Jan 21, 2004 The Swiss government is hoping to use the five-day forum to resurrect stalled world trade negotiations. The economics minister and current Swiss president, Joseph Deiss, is due to host a crisis meeting on Friday involving around 20 trade ministers, plus Supachai Panitchpakdi, director-general of the World Trade Organization. Talks at the WTO’s ministerial conference in…

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Khatami praises Swiss democratic model

This content was published on Jan 20, 2004 At a meeting in Bern with his Swiss counterpart, Joseph Deiss, the Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, also discussed democracy and Switzerland’s efforts to broker a Middle East peace plan. “I want to say a big thank you to the Swiss government for the help in Bam – and a special thanks to the Swiss people…

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Gerber warns of perils facing Swiss asylum policy

This content was published on Jan 16, 2004 Shortly after the news, Gerber spoke to swissinfo about the challenges facing Switzerland’s asylum policy. Gerber has been in charge of the office for over six years and his move to Seco is no surprise, given that he has a strong background in economics. His appointment comes just weeks after the former Justice minister, Ruth…

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Gerber leaves legacy of tighter asylum policy

This content was published on Jan 16, 2004 He has also urged Switzerland to join a European Union drive for a common asylum policy or face dealing with more bogus requests. During a news conference in Bern – one of his last before stepping down at the end of March – Gerber also stressed that Swiss asylum policy faced many challenges in the…

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