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Swiss Politics

Parliament begins Spring session

This content was published on Mar 5, 2000 The Spring session of the Swiss parliament is underway and one of the main items on the agenda is compensation for the wood industry following Hurricane Lothar. Emergency legislation was drafted after Lothar devastated Switzerland’s forests at the end of December. The strong winds felled some 15 million trees, which is equivalent to two year’s…

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Sunday’s vote: speeding up direct democracy

This content was published on Mar 5, 2000 The authorities are taking too long to put people’s initiatives to a nationwide vote, according to the supporters of a measure to speed up the process, which will be put to a referendum on March 12. The Swiss people will have to decide whether they want issues put to a popular vote within a maximum…

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Blocher strengthens influence on party power-base

This content was published on Mar 4, 2000 The right-wing populist Christoph Blocher has boosted his influence in the Swiss People’s Party. A special congress at Altdorf, in canton Uri, appointed members of Blocher’s faction to the party’s key steering commitee. The congress began by appointing party president, Ueli Maurer, to another four-year term. This was followed by elections for the 82-member central…

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Deiss back in Switzerland after Mideast tour

This content was published on Mar 4, 2000 The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has returned to Switzerland after a nine-day tour of the Middle East. He was accompanied by business and parliamentary leaders, who gave a positive assessment of the trip, notwithstanding the controversy over Deiss’ remarks about Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights. The Israeli ambassador to Berne, Yitzhak Mayer, called…

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Social Democrats postpone decision on Koch’s future

This content was published on Mar 4, 2000 Switzerland’s Social Democrats have resisted moves to hold a special congress to tackle the crisis surrounding party president Ursula Koch (picture). The party’s central committee overwhelmingly backed the decision at a meeting in Berne. The central committee voted 57 to ten against holding a special congress this summer, to decide whether to retain Koch or…

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The week in Switzerland

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 Middle Eastern affairs, the crisis in Mozambique and an unexpected move for asylum-seekers: these are some of the stories, which have made the headlines in the past week in Switzerland. The foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has been touring the Middle East, becoming the first Swiss minister to visit Egypt, Syria and Lebanon for 15 years.…

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Austrian chancellor to visit Berne in late March

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The new Austrian chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, will be making his first official visit abroad to Switzerland, at the end of this month. The Austrian authorities said he would be in Berne on either March 29 or 31. The visit is in line with tradition, according to which a new chancellor makes his first foreign visit…

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Switzerland offers to host peace summit between Israel and Syria

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, says Switzerland is ready to host peace talks involving Israel, Syria and the United States, provided all sides want such a meeting. His comments come after the Israeli ambassador to Switzerland called on Deiss to clarify remarks he made about Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights. Deiss raised the…

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Switzerland boosts emergency aid to Mozambique

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The Swiss government has increased its emergency relief aid to flood victims in Mozambique to SFr10 million. Walter Fust, who heads Swiss humanitarian relief as well as the government’s Development Agency, said the most urgent need is for more helicopters and shallow-draught boats for rescue work. However, as these would take too long to transport…

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Switzerland seeks to break deadlock in peace talks with Israel and Syria

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 Switzerland has raised the possibility of hosting a summit between Israel and Syria as part of efforts to restart the stalled Middle East peace talks, according to the foreign ministry. A spokesman said the foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, made it clear during his visit to Syria that if all sides wanted such a meeting, Switzerland…

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