Swiss Politics

Mobutu’s Swiss estate finally sold

This content was published on Oct 19, 2001 The villa in Savigny, canton Vaux, went to a Swiss buyer for SFr3.1 million during an auction on Thursday. Local authorities had previously received written offers to the value of SFr2.5 million, the minimum price set at a previous auction, although the property is estimated to be worth considerably more at SFr4.25 million. The villa…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland, Germany sign air transport agreement

This content was published on Oct 18, 2001 The head of Switzerland’s Federal Office for Civil Aviation, André Auer, and the German ambassador, Reinhard Hilger, ended a long-standing deadlock marked by more than a dozen rounds of negotiations, when they penned their signatures. The deal, drawn up by Switzerland’s transport minister, Moritz Leuenberger, and his German counterpart, Kurt Bodewig, was agreed in principle…

Swiss Politics

Government delays Swisscom decision

This content was published on Oct 17, 2001 A statement from the cabinet office said the government believed there was now less pressure for a quick decision. “Initially, it was expected that consolidation in the telecommunications sector would happen very quickly. In the meantime, a certain soberness has returned to the international telecommunications sector,” it said. It also added that it did not…

Swiss Politics

Bern organisers “stunned” by Olympic criticism

This content was published on Oct 16, 2001 At a press conference in Lausanne on Tuesday, Kägi accused the Bern-Montreux campaign of being inactive since winning national approval for the project last month. “If I had been responsible for this bid I would have been doubling my efforts since winning the approval of the sports parliament (in a vote on September 5),” Kägi…

Swiss Politics

Foreign residents increase in Switzerland

This content was published on Oct 16, 2001 According to statistics released on Monday by the Federal Office for Foreigners, the proportion of non-Swiss residents increased to 19.6 per cent at the end of August. This represents 1.4 million people. Not included in the numbers are international civil servants, seasonal workers and temporary residents. Members of the European Union and the European Free…

Swiss Politics

Deiss receives ratification assurances in Dublin

This content was published on Oct 11, 2001 In addition to the developments in Ireland, the ratification process also got a vote of confidence in France, where the Senate gave the green light to the treaty on the free movement of people between Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland is now waiting for a response from Belgium, which has still to ratify the treaty.…

Swiss Politics

Deiss to pressure Ireland to ratify bilateral treaties

This content was published on Oct 11, 2001 Deiss is leading a delegation of Swiss diplomats to lobby the Irish to put the ratification process in motion. The Irish government has yet to draft the necessary bill to put before the “Dáil” – the country’s House of Representatives – even though the treaties were due to come into effect last January. Until a…

Swiss Politics

Aid agencies brace for humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan

This content was published on Oct 8, 2001 The head of the Swiss government’s development agency in Pakistan, Rudolf Hager, told swissinfo that “a humanitarian catastrophe is now unavoidable. We are talking about six to seven million people who are in danger of starving to death”. He added that since the US and British air strikes began on Sunday night, it had become…

Swiss Politics

Swiss People’s Party grabs 10 per cent of Geneva parliament

This content was published on Oct 7, 2001 The party’s success followed an intensive election campaign led by the head of the Geneva branch, Jacques Pagan. The People’s Party’s General Secretary, Gregor Rutz, told the Sunday newspaper Dimanche.ch that “election campaigns in big towns have to be punchier than in peripheral cantons”. Lutz said his party had always wanted to have a stronghold…

Swiss Politics

Sudanese rebels sign up to landmine ban

This content was published on Oct 7, 2001 The signing of the Deed of Commitment by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) was one of the biggest successes so far for the Geneva Call, a Swiss non-governmental organisation dedicated to including armed opposition movements in the process to ban landmines. It is also a potentially important step for the millions of civilians at…

Swiss Politics

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Sign in and personalize Swissinfo

Swiss Politics

More

Mobutu’s Swiss estate finally sold

More

Switzerland, Germany sign air transport agreement

More

Government delays Swisscom decision

More

Bern organisers “stunned” by Olympic criticism

More

Foreign residents increase in Switzerland

More

Deiss receives ratification assurances in Dublin

More

Deiss to pressure Ireland to ratify bilateral treaties

More

Aid agencies brace for humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan

More

Swiss People’s Party grabs 10 per cent of Geneva parliament

More

Sudanese rebels sign up to landmine ban

Popular Stories

Most Discussed