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Swiss Politics

Flowers, flashbulbs and a glass of Pinot

This content was published on Dec 4, 2002 She was greeted with a round of applause from her confident supporters, but it was to take five rounds of voting to secure her victory. Security was tighter than usual, and those who had not managed to grab a place on the galleries of the large parliamentary chamber stood little chance of getting near the…

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Swiss Politics

Magic Formula survives – for now

This content was published on Dec 4, 2002 But the rightwing’s decision to abstain from the final vote in parliament suggests the coalition that has been in place since 1959 may be on its last legs. Three of the four parties in government voted for the “Magic Formula” by electing a Social Democrat to fill one of the party’s two posts in the…

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Swiss Politics

New face on an old block

This content was published on Dec 4, 2002 The cabinet’s political complexion hasn’t changed since 1959, and Calmy-Rey’s selection means it will stay that way at least until next year’s general election. In theory, anyone could have contested Ruth Dreifuss’s cabinet seat; in practice the new minister was always going to be a Social Democrat. Any other outcome would have scuppered the “Magic…

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Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey wins cabinet seat

This content was published on Dec 4, 2002 In the fifth round of voting Calmy-Rey received 131 votes, easily exceeding the overall majority of 100, and clearly defeating the other official candidate for the Social Democrats, Ruth Lüthi, who got 68 votes. Calmy-Rey’s victory was inevitable once the candidate from the Swiss People’s Party, Toni Bortoluzzi, dropped out of the running. People’s Party…

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Swiss Politics

Calmy-Rey clinches cabinet post

This content was published on Dec 4, 2002 In the fifth round of voting Calmy-Rey received 131 votes, easily exceeding the overall majority of 100, and clearly defeating the other official candidate for the Social Democrats, Ruth Lüthi, who got 68 votes. Calmy-Rey’s victory was inevitable once the candidate from the Swiss People’s Party, Toni Bortoluzzi, dropped out of the running. Most People’s…

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Swiss Politics

Parliament to choose new cabinet minister

This content was published on Dec 3, 2002 The race to replace Dreifuss, a Social Democrat, looks likely to be between her party’s two official candidates, but an unknown contender could still launch a challenge. “I’m not 100 per cent convinced that parliament will not surprise us,” political analyst Julian Hottinger told swissinfo. “It could pull a candidate out of the bag that…

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Swiss Politics

The Swiss abroad – forgotten voters?

This content was published on Nov 28, 2002 The initiative from the Swiss People’s Party was defeated by only 3,422 votes and it is possible that Swiss citizens living abroad played a crucial role in the final result. Figures from three Swiss cantons indicate that voters living abroad were much more likely to have rejected the initiative than those living in Switzerland. Cantons…

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Swiss Politics

Asylum vote: authorities order manual recount

This content was published on Nov 27, 2002 The definitive, official result of the vote on tightening the country’s asylum laws is not now expected before February. Alexander Trechsel, political analyst “The vote recount must be respected. In a democracy it must be possible to recount the ballots.” The asylum proposal, submitted by the rightwing People’s Party, was rejected by a majority of…

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Swiss Politics

René Felber on why Switzerland should join the EU

This content was published on Nov 26, 2002 René Felber, a keen supporter of membership, told swissinfo he still believes the country should join. Switzerland’s rejection of the EEA prompted the government to seek alternate ways of forging closer ties with the EU. Its efforts led to a series of seven bilateral agreements governing issues such as trade and the free movement of…

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Swiss Politics

Switzerland signs global pact to curb ballistic missiles

This content was published on Nov 26, 2002 Although not legally binding, it is the most wide-ranging non-proliferation deal ever signed. Some 93 countries, with the notable exceptions of China, Iran, India, Pakistan and Israel, signed the transparency measure at a conference in The Hague. Each year, signatory states will declare their inventory of ballistic missiles as well as provide information on any…

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