Swiss Politics

ICRC moves staff away from Libya fighting

This content was published on Mar 14, 2011 The ICRC, one of the few aid agencies deployed in Libya, said it was concerned about the safety of its personnel. “For security reasons we have decided to move all non-essential staff in Benghazi a bit further back to Tobruk, near the border,” ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon told Reuters. ICRC expatriate medical staff have…

Swiss Politics

Swiss suspend nuclear plant process

This content was published on Mar 14, 2011 Announcing the move on Monday, the minister said that she had asked for safety at all existing plants to be reexamined following two post-quake and tsunami explosions at a site in Japan. “Safety and the wellbeing of the population has utmost priority,” said the minister. Leuthard said she had decided after discussions with experts from…

Swiss Politics

Left loses political control of Geneva

This content was published on Mar 14, 2011 On Sunday the MCG won a total of 73 seats in 13 communes, including 11 in the western Swiss city’s 80-seat parliament. Meanwhile, in communal elections in canton Vaud left-of-centre parties tightened their grip on four of the seven main towns. The MCG was not the only winner in Geneva as the left-wing party Ensemble…

Swiss Politics

Minority interests defended by power-sharing

This content was published on Mar 14, 2011 But regular ballots that give voters the final say on constitutional amendments and laws also limit the powers of parliament. As a rule, Europe’s democracies are defined by the constant antagonism between government and opposition. But Swiss-style democracy is different not least as a result of the delicate balance of power between the various minorities…

Swiss Politics

How parliamentary elections work

This content was published on Mar 14, 2011 How do citizens vote in a country often held up as a model democracy? The Swiss parliament is a bicameral legislature composed of a House of Representatives and a Senate. The House is the larger chamber and represents the population, while the Senate represents the cantons. Elections to the House are held every four years…

Swiss Politics

Glencore accused of rights abuses in Congo

This content was published on Mar 12, 2011 Congo is rich in raw materials, but its population is among the poorest on the globe. A situation non-governmental organisations say multinationals in the mining sector are taking advantage of. One in four mobile phones sold in Switzerland is produced from raw materials from mines in the Congo and the central African country has among…

Swiss Politics

Swiss aim to support North African transition

This content was published on Mar 11, 2011 A foreign ministry statement on Friday said that initially SFr12 million ($12.9 million) would be released to finance programmes and projects as part of emergency aid, and that 14 members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit would be deployed there. The unit is to set up a programme office in the Libyan city of Benghazi, the…

Swiss Politics

Libyan embassy cuts ties to Gaddafi regime

This content was published on Mar 11, 2011 In a statement on Friday provided to swissinfo.ch, the embassy said it had cut all ties with Moammar Gaddafi’s regime. The embassy said Gaddafi’s use of violence, torture and paid mercenaries against the Libyan people had led to its decision. “The members of the embassy no longer have any link to the regime of Moammar…

Swiss Politics

Government explains its stance on passive smoking

This content was published on Mar 11, 2011 A statement on Friday said that since a new federal law came into force on the issue at a national level in May, 2010 it was not putting forward a counter-proposal. The government statement admitted that current legislation had some loopholes concerning staff in bars and restaurants but it protected the majority of employees. The…

Swiss Politics

Parliament’s CO2 move fuels heated response

This content was published on Mar 11, 2011 The move earlier this week was hailed as a step in the right direction by environmental groups, but opponents have made their reservations clear. “It is turning our back on efforts for an international climate policy and sends a strong negative signal to the European Union about a coordinated approach,” said Dominique Reber of the…

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ICRC moves staff away from Libya fighting

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Swiss suspend nuclear plant process

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Left loses political control of Geneva

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Minority interests defended by power-sharing

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How parliamentary elections work

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Glencore accused of rights abuses in Congo

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Swiss aim to support North African transition

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Libyan embassy cuts ties to Gaddafi regime

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Government explains its stance on passive smoking

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Parliament’s CO2 move fuels heated response

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