Swiss Politics

Brother calls for Libyan hostage to be freed

This content was published on Nov 26, 2009 Moritz Göldi told Swiss television that his brother, Max, was not well and had been suffering from nightmares and anxiety attacks since he and fellow Swiss Rachid Hamdani were abducted by the Libyan authorities and kept in a secret location for a seven-week period. They were returned to the Swiss embassy on November 9. Göldi…

Swiss Politics

Doubts persist over weapons exports

This content was published on Nov 24, 2009 The government in its official information brochure for voters describes its policy of trading war material as restrictive, transparent, tough and not open to frequent abuses. Throughout its campaign the pacifist group for a Switzerland without an Army has tried to undermine the clean Swiss image. It has published a report by Human Rights Watch…

Protesters with a peace flag in front of the Federal Parliament

Swiss Politics

Swiss vote on banning weapons exports

This content was published on Nov 24, 2009

Swiss Politics

Bern makes economic crisis a priority

This content was published on Nov 24, 2009 The aims were set out by Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz before the Senate on Tuesday, during parliament’s winter session. Merz said the cabinet wanted to contain the country’s unemployment rate, which currently runs at four per cent of the working population, its highest since 2005. If the labour market situation deteriorates, the government may examine…

Swiss Politics

Women take over in Swiss politics

This content was published on Nov 23, 2009 Pascale Bruderer, a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, was elected speaker of the House of Representative. The 32-year-old Bruderer entered politics at a local level 12 years ago and joined the Swiss parliament in 2002. The Senate will be headed by Erika Forster-Vannini of the centre-right Radical Party. The 65-year-old businesswoman has served…

Swiss Politics

Left-leaning parties receive competition

This content was published on Nov 22, 2009 Around 200 people took part in a congress of the new party in Schaffhausen on Saturday. In an appeal to Swiss voters, The Left said it intended to become an “eco-socialist power, which is currently lacking in Switzerland”. One of the co-founders of the new party, Florian Keller, said The Left should appeal to young…

Swiss Politics

Lisbon Treaty heralds trickier EU relations

This content was published on Nov 21, 2009 Swiss lawyer Jean Russotto, one of the leading experts in Brussels, says Swiss officials will face new EU players and working methods after the treaty comes into force on December 1. The Lisbon Treaty streamlines the EU’s cumbersome decision-making processes and creates the posts of president of the European Council, and powerful foreign policy chief,…

Swiss Politics

Swiss visas for Libyans down to a trickle

This content was published on Nov 20, 2009 In response to a motion submitted by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives, the government on Thursday revealed the extent of the restrictions imposed since the detention of two Swiss businessmen by the regime in Tripoli. The men were first detained in Tripoli in July 2008, days after the arrest of the…

Swiss Politics

Abacha’s son found guilty in Geneva

This content was published on Nov 20, 2009 The investigating judge, Yves Aeschlimann, ordered the confiscation of $350 million ($ 345 million) seized during the investigation in Luxembourg and the Bahamas. He also imposed a suspended prison sentence on Abacha. Between 1993 and his death in 1998, General Abacha is said to have plundered up to SFr3 billion from the coffers of Nigeria.…

Swiss Politics

Merz poll

This content was published on Nov 20, 2009

Swiss Politics

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Brother calls for Libyan hostage to be freed

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Doubts persist over weapons exports

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Swiss vote on banning weapons exports

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Bern makes economic crisis a priority

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Women take over in Swiss politics

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Left-leaning parties receive competition

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Lisbon Treaty heralds trickier EU relations

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Swiss visas for Libyans down to a trickle

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Abacha’s son found guilty in Geneva

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Merz poll

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