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Swiss Politics

Swiss lay ground for UN inspectors in Iraq

This content was published on Oct 2, 2002 The UN declined an offer from Bern to send Swiss weapons inspectors, but said Switzerland could still play a role by helping to restore the infrastructure at the UN base. Defence ministry spokesman, Oswald Sigg, confirmed that the UN, which Switzerland joined as a full member in September, has asked for a total of eight…

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Swiss deploy first armed peacekeepers

This content was published on Oct 2, 2002 The troops flew into the Balkan province on Thursday, nearly 18 months after the country voted in favour of arming peacekeepers. The troops will carry weapons – including assault rifles, pistols, pepper spray and submachine guns – for personal defence only. The new contingent – part of the “Swisscoy” volunteer service – will serve as…

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People’s Party takes aim at “magic formula”

This content was published on Sep 30, 2002 The make-up of Switzerland’s seven-member cabinet is determined by convention dating to the 1950s, commonly known as “the magic formula”. That formula – which helps ensure the Swiss government maintains a representative balance between the country’s different political and linguistic blocks – is under fire by the People’s Party, which has seen its share of…

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Dreifuss exits a changed stage

This content was published on Sep 30, 2002 Not only was she the first woman and Jewish person to hold the presidency, she also gave Switzerland one of the best, and most expensive, health systems in the world. Dreifuss reached the high point of her career in 1999, when, as part of Switzerland’s rotating presidency, she became the first woman to be the…

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Swiss Politics

Dreifuss calls it a day

This content was published on Sep 30, 2002 Dreifuss described her almost decade-long cabinet career as a “rich” experience that was also “a daily source of joy”. “I have always tried to listen to individuals and their problems,” she said. The Social Democrat’s announcement ends more than nine years as head of Switzerland’s interior ministry – a period marked by intensive reforms to…

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Swiss lab gears up for return of weapons inspectors

This content was published on Sep 28, 2002 Scientists from the country’s main weapons institute have begun training UN experts and preparing for the arrival of deadly chemicals. The laboratory, nestling in a field near Spiez between lake Thun and the Bernese Alps, is at the heart of Switzerland’s research and testing programme into nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. It’s made up of…

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Swiss Politics

Middle East human rights plan is still on track

This content was published on Sep 26, 2002 But he admits there has not been much progress on the proposals put forward earlier this year. “Unfortunately there has not been very much achieved so far,” he told swissinfo. “But there has been great interest in the plans in the region and even more among the international community.” In June, the head of the…

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Swiss Politics

The cantonal majority principle

This content was published on Sep 22, 2002 This was the case with the two gold initiatives, which were thrown out on Sunday. The federal system, as it is known, can undermine the principle of “one person, one vote” by giving each canton the same political weight. Critics of the federal system point to the fact that it gives small cantons – some…

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Back to the drawing board

This content was published on Sep 22, 2002 Voters rejected two proposals on how to spend the money – a clear signal that the government needs to come up with new ideas about what to do with the cash. Voters turned down the government plan to divide the money equally among the state pension scheme, the cantons and the so-called Solidarity Foundation, which…

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Bern’s Olympic dream falters

This content was published on Sep 22, 2002 Bid organisers conceded on Sunday that the refusal by voters to approve an SFr 22.5 million ($15 million) bid package would force the city to pull out of the Olympic race. Almost four in five Bernese voted no to two Olympic related questions. Martin Hodler, the president of Bern’s bid committee, told swissinfo he was…

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