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Pressure on Swiss cabinet intensifies

This content was published on Sep 28, 2008 It has been a turbulent week, with Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz recovering from a heart attack and Defence Minister Samuel Schmid under fire. Political scientist Hans Hirter tells swissinfo that cabinet members face ever increasing attacks on their person, rather than being judged solely on their policies. He also considers how recent events may affect…

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Housing market feels strain of labour accord

This content was published on Sep 27, 2008 Speaking on Saturday in St Gallen at the annual meeting of the Swiss Housing Association, she noted that the urban areas of Zurich, Basel, Geneva and Lausanne had been particularly affected by above average rent increases. Leuthard said these areas were also suffering from a lack of apartments with low rents. She also pointed out…

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Swiss Politics

Schengen arrangements for Liechtenstein agreed

This content was published on Sep 26, 2008 The fact that the principality is not yet part of the Schengen area will cost Switzerland millions of francs. There is currently no border control on the 41 kilometres that separate the two countries. The Swiss justice ministry announced that personnel for extra border controls would cost SFr2.5 million ($2.3 million). Infrastructure, mainly video surveillance,…

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Sanctions on Myanmar rulers tightened

This content was published on Sep 26, 2008 Import of timber, wood products, coal, some metals and precious stones are banned in line with similar measures taken by the European Union earlier this year. At the same time financial sanctions were extended to people working in the timber and metal industries. The economics ministry said the move is aimed at forcing the Myanmar…

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Swiss Politics

Western strategy “plays into Taliban hands”

This content was published on Sep 25, 2008 The Nato-led coalition, known as the International Security Assistance Force, has made errors that have played into the hands of the Taliban, and ending the war will not be easy, two Swiss experts tell swissinfo. The Taliban – literally meaning “religious students” in the Pashto language – came to power in 1997, but were driven…

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Swiss Politics

Drug warnings slip from highs

This content was published on Sep 25, 2008 The Federal Statistics Office on Thursday released figures for 2007 that showed police issued almost 47,000 cuations to people for using or dealing in illegal substances. That’s down from a high point of nearly 50,000 in 2004. Warnings for consumption of marijuana and hemp-based substances decreased from roughly 45,000 in 2004 to about 40,200 in…

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Swiss Politics

Finance minister comes out of coma

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 Merz suffered a heart attack on Saturday evening in his home town of Herisau in eastern Switzerland. After emergency treatment at the nearby hospital in St Gallen, he was flown to Bern where he underwent a quintuple bypass. He was taken off a ventilator during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, his doctors told a…

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Boost for expat seat in parliament

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 The House of Representatives approved a proposal by Social Democrat Carlo Sommaruga from Geneva to create the legal basis to enable Swiss living abroad to be elected to either of the two parliamentary chambers. The Senate still has to discuss the issue. Sommaruga said expatriates currently had very little chance of being elected to parliament.…

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Swiss Politics

Separatist Swiss canton celebrates 30 years

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 But time has softened the rebellious spirit of many of its citizens who succeeded in gaining national approval to redraw Switzerland’s political boundaries and create the country’s 26th canton. On September 24, 1978 Swiss voters paved the way for the creation of canton Jura, finally giving recognition to the region that had long seen itself…

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Swiss Politics

Defence minister suffers setback over armament

This content was published on Sep 24, 2008 The decision is seen as another blow for the embattled defence minister, Samuel Schmid. But the issue is not dead: the Senate – the other parliamentary chamber – has to vote on it again in December. The rightwing Swiss People’s Party and centre-left groups, including the Greens and the Social Democrats, opposed the use of…

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