Swiss Politics

Cabinet tightens belt for jets

This content was published on Feb 2, 2012 The move, which will require all ministries to tighten their belts, comes after last year’s parliamentary decision to increase the army budget from SFr4.4 billion to SFr5 billion. The money will cover the jets as well as a 100,000-member army. Because of this the annual army budget needs to be increased to SFr560 million in…

Swiss Politics

Swiss moot energy deal with EU

This content was published on Feb 1, 2012 Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said the deal could be part of parallel negotiations on a solution to institutional issues with Brussels, including an arbitration panel and the application of the EU’s legal standards. He said Switzerland was also willing to discuss controversial tax issues if the EU did not block implementation of separate deals with…

Swiss Politics

OSCE evaluates Swiss elections

This content was published on Jan 30, 2012 In a report published on Monday, the OSCE had mainly positive feedback for Switzerland after observing last October’s parliamentary elections. During their 19-day stay in Switzerland, the 11 OSCE experts found that the candidates and their parties campaigned freely and actively. They also noted that the elections addressed a variety of economic, social and international…

Swiss Politics

Ex-UBS trader denies fraud charges

This content was published on Jan 30, 2012 The 31-year-old man, whose actions the Swiss bank says cost it some $2.3 billion (SFr2.1 billion), faces two charges of fraud and two of false accounting in a case that has shaken the investment banking world. The British-educated son of a retired United Nations official from Ghana worked as a director of exchange traded funds…

Swiss Politics

Europe spoils WEF party in Davos

This content was published on Jan 29, 2012 German Chancellor Angela Merkel set the tone early on by reiterating a strategy of enforcing austerity on Greece and other debt laden eurozone countries in favour of increasing a bailout fund. Merkel’s keynote speech on the opening day urging “more Europe” was greeted with scepticism by the international array of leading business people, politicians, academics…

Swiss Politics

People’s Party rules out opposition option

This content was published on Jan 28, 2012 Delegates at a party conference on Saturday voted in favour of keeping Defence Minister Ueli Maurer in his post in the cabinet, with 442 for and 25 against. It was mainly members from canton Valais who backed going into opposition. Among them, Jean-Luc Addor who said: “We should dare to leave the government. It’s a…

Swiss Politics

Davos Open Forum gives lessons in leadership

This content was published on Jan 27, 2012 But while participants in the meeting – which takes place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum – agreed on the need to think out of the box, they gave few details on which path was the best to follow. The school hall in Davos was full of young people from all over the…

Swiss Politics

Commandos ready to secure Tripoli embassy

This content was published on Jan 26, 2012 The government’s decision to hire Aegis for over three months was widely criticised in Swiss political circles. Although the company is headquartered in Basel since 2010, it also employs 20,000 mercenaries who are deployed mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan, making it one of the world’s biggest private armies. The government had justified its choice to…

Swiss Politics

More peacekeepers for Kosovo

This content was published on Jan 25, 2012 The defence ministry said the 220-member Swisscoy force can be extended by up to 40 staff for a period of four months. Stationed in Kosovo since 1999, Swisscoy has run the Casablanca camp at Suva Reka jointly with Austrian troops. The Swiss forces at Suva Reka, which are part of the international Kfor mission, will…

Rubik deals run into trouble

This content was published on Jan 22, 2012 The agreements use the so-called “Rubik” model for dealing with the undeclared billions held by foreign customers in Swiss banks. It is quick and easy: the countries whose taxpayers have tried to hide their assets get an inflow of money straight away, and Swiss banks remain relatively attractive to the super-rich who prefer to keep…

Swiss Politics

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