Swiss Politics

Right-wing party names two candidates for cabinet post

This content was published on Nov 28, 2000 The party’s parliamentary faction met on Tuesday to select from a short-list of four candidates. The federal parliament will elect a successor to Ogi – a member of the People’s Party – on December 6. Fuhrer, who heads canton Zurich’s police department, has the higher profile of the two candidates, and received most votes from…

Swiss Politics

Cabinet election tops parliamentary agenda

This content was published on Nov 27, 2000 The three-week winter session kicks off on Monday, but most of the attention will be focused on December 6, when both houses of parliament are holding a joint session to elect a successor to Ogi, who steps down at the end of the year. Under an informal agreement, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party is entitled…

Swiss Politics

Parliament elects new speakers

This content was published on Nov 27, 2000 The decisions on Monday came at the start of parliament’s three-week winter session. Hess, a Christian Democrat from canton Zug, holds what is nominally the highest position in Swiss politics for the next 12 months. He takes over from Hanspeter Seiler of the People’s Party. Hess was elected to the rotating post with 155 votes…

Swiss Politics

Zurich cools towards Chinese sister city

This content was published on Nov 26, 2000 The vote was called by two members of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. They came out against a move by the city parliament to cut Zurich’s annual credit to Kunming from SFr2.4 million to SFr.1.3 million next year, saying funding should be stopped altogether. Since the sister city agreement was reached in 1982, Zurich has…

Swiss Politics

Swiss votes reveal deep cultural divisions between regions

This content was published on Nov 26, 2000 With all results counted, voters clearly turned down a proposal to cut army spending, and two initiatives to introduce a more flexible retirement age. The results on the defence issue indicated a division between German-speaking cantons and most French-speaking cantons, which came out in favour of slashing spending. There were also considerable differences over the…

Swiss Politics

Green party nominates successor for Ogi

This content was published on Nov 25, 2000 The 51-year-old politician from Lucerne has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1991. The president of the Green Party, Ruedi Baumann, told a news conference in Bern on Saturday that Bühlmann was to help “drive the Swiss People’s Party” out of government. He added that she was “a real alternative to the…

Swiss Politics

ABB signs electricity deal with North Korea

This content was published on Nov 24, 2000 The official North Korean news agency said the agreement also covered cooperation in producing electric machines and equipment. It was signed in Pyongyang by ABB chief executive officer, Goran Lindahl. ABB said in January it had received orders worth $200 million (SFr362 million) to deliver equipment and services to two nuclear power stations in North…

Swiss Politics

Switzerland moots scrapping passport checks at borders

This content was published on Nov 24, 2000 The justice ministry said scrapping checks at Switzerland’s borders was one of several options under consideration. A working group is due to present its findings by 2003. A spokesman for the ministry said the government, in its foreign policy report, supported changes to the current system of passport checks at the border. The ministry denied…

Swiss Politics

Foreigners in Jura prepare to stand in groundbreaking election

This content was published on Nov 23, 2000 The tiny French-speaking canton in the far northwestern corner of Switzerland broke new ground in 1979, when it allowed foreigners who had lived in Switzerland for more than 10 years to vote in communal and cantonal elections. Now it has gone a step further. Twenty foreigners are seeking election to local councils in towns such…

Swiss Politics

Swiss present at EU expansion talks

This content was published on Nov 23, 2000 Deiss was addressing a meeting in France of his counterparts from the 15 European Union states, and countries applying to join the bloc. The conference centred on the EU’s future development and expansion. While he emphasised the fact that Switzerland had no intention of trying to lecture its European neighbours on the issue of federalism,…

Swiss Politics

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Right-wing party names two candidates for cabinet post

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Cabinet election tops parliamentary agenda

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Parliament elects new speakers

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Zurich cools towards Chinese sister city

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Swiss votes reveal deep cultural divisions between regions

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Green party nominates successor for Ogi

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ABB signs electricity deal with North Korea

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Switzerland moots scrapping passport checks at borders

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Foreigners in Jura prepare to stand in groundbreaking election

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Swiss present at EU expansion talks

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