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Swiss Politics

Magic Formula comes under attack

This content was published on Jul 1, 2003 The party’s president, Christiane Brunner, says she is in favour of allocating a second cabinet seat to the rightwing Swiss People’s Party. Such a move would alter the so-called “Magic Formula” – a power-sharing agreement between the country’s four major political parties. The Social Democrats, who are the only left-of-centre party in government, now claim…

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Arts’ backers join forces to secure future

This content was published on Jun 30, 2003 In an unusual show of unity, the arts council, Pro Helvetia, and the Federal Office for Culture held a joint press conference on Monday to put forward their case. The two institutions, often seen as competitors, hope that by presenting a united front they will persuade parliament to clarify their roles relative to each other.…

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Swiss Politics

Reconstruction tops agenda during Karzai visit

This content was published on Jun 27, 2003 Discussions focused on rebuilding the country, where Swiss aid organisations have recently expressed concern over escalating violence. Karzai met the 2003 Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin, and foreign minister Micheline Calmy-Rey. At a press conference after the talks, Karzai said his country was grateful for the contribution Switzerland had made to Afghanistan and its people. “Switzerland…

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Swiss Politics

Congo prepares to face up to the truth

This content was published on Jun 27, 2003 swissinfo spoke to Jean-Nicolas Bitter, a foreign ministry official working on the project, to find out how effective this process could be. According to Bitter, the aim of the commission will be to provide redress for the victims of the violence that has wracked the central African state. The signing of a peace deal in…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss look to limit damage over aviation deal

This content was published on Jun 25, 2003 Switzerland wants Germany to lift limits on flights over its territory into Zurich airport and to scrap extra restrictions due to come into force next month. The two ministers will issue a statement in Bonn on Thursday after their two-day meeting. The measures, which came into force on April 17, ban flights over part of…

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Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey criticises occupation of Iraq

This content was published on Jun 22, 2003 Calmy-Rey also called for the role of the United Nations in post-war Iraq to be strengthened. Addressing participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Jordan, the minister said occupying the country could only lead to more violent resistance. She stressed that the Iraqis had a right to self-determination – to choose their own…

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Parliament blocks access to apartheid-era archives

This content was published on Jun 20, 2003 The move comes just two months after the government limited access to federal archives on bilateral ties with the white regime in Pretoria between 1948 and 1994. The House rejected a proposal by a Green Party parliamentarian, demanding access for researchers to both public and private documents. “Hardly a month goes by without learning new…

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Swiss Politics

Number of foreigners set to fall

This content was published on Jun 18, 2003 This week the Swiss Senate approved government proposals to grant automatic Swiss citizenship to third-generation foreigners. A study by Avenir Suisse, a think-tank for economic and social issues, says the proposals, if they become law, will reduce Switzerland’s foreign population by around one third over the next four decades. This is despite the fact that…

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Swiss Politics

Rightwing targets maternity benefits

This content was published on Jun 14, 2003 However, the rightwing People’s Party is threatening to derail plans to grant mothers 14 weeks’ paid leave by putting the issue to a national vote. The Swiss Senate on Thursday followed the House of Representatives in approving the law, which would give mothers access to 80 per cent of their former salary. A maximum of…

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Swiss Politics

Students learn rules of refugee game

This content was published on Jun 13, 2003 Workshops where pupils “experience” war, oppression and exile are being conducted in classrooms in the German-speaking part of the country. “It doesn’t help anyone, neither the Swiss nor the refugees, to neglect one section of society,” Kais Fguiri of the Federal Foreigners Commission told swissinfo Teachers launched the programme following last year’s nationwide vote on…

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