New cabinet to tackle unemployment

Autor(en): Farmer, Colin

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1983)

Heft 1798

PDF erstellt am: 26.09.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-686172

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http://www.e-periodica.ch Colin Farmer

Foreign Minister New cabinet , 55 (Socio/ Democrat] to tackle

Interior Minister unemployment A/phons Eg/i, 58 (Christian Democrat] SWITZERLAND has not only a new respected for his diligence and dynamism - President this year - as it does every is known to have expressed a strong interest year, in fact - but also two new members in the Economics post, currently the "hot in its seven-man cabinet. seat" in Swiss politics. The new President of the Swiss Con- Unemployment, although only about one has federation is Foreign Minister Pierre Aubert. percent of the nation's workforce, more than trebled over the and inflation De/ence Minister But it is a largely ceremonial post, and as past year, is still at the relatively high rate for Georges-André President he will enjoy no special powers. running Switzerland around Cheva//az, 67 Under Switzerland's unique political of six percent. New President Pierre at is the (fiadica/] system, the seven members of the cabinet, or Aubert, 55, of the current cabinet. Bom at La Federal Council to give it its correct name, youngest he studied the Univer- take it in turns to fill the presidential post for Chaux-de-Fonds, at sities of Neuchâtel and (West a one-year term. "Promotion" to the pre- Heidelberg the sidency is based on length of service as a Germany), entering legal profession in 1953. cabinet minister. The same minister may After his early even serve two or more non-consecutive pre- gaining political experience and cantonal he sidential terms if he stays in the cabinet long at municipal level, was enough. elected to the Swiss Federal Parliament in Finance M/nister At the time the President retains his 1971. He joined the cabinet as Foreign Wi//i Ritschard, 64 same his Minister in 1977. (Socia/ Democrat] ministerial post - which, in fact, remains main task. Mr Aubert sees Switzerland's soaring the Switzerland's cabinet is a four-party coali- unemployment as most serious problem tion, reflecting not only the political but also currently facing the nation. One of the worst- the regional, linguistic and confessional hit sectors is the watchmaking industry, the make-up of the Swiss population. All major centre of which is Mr Aubert's home town of decisions are taken collectively, with the Pre- La Chaux-de-Fonds. sident merely presiding over cabinet meet- "I go there once a week", he told an in- "and it's sad I walk Transport and ings as a primus inter pares - a first among terviewer, a sight. along the and I almost feel the Energy Minister equals. streets there can Leon Sch/ump/, 58 The two new ministers in the cabinet are resignation of the people." (Peop/es' Party] Alphons Egli and Rudolf Friedrich, who have Unemployment has also become the been elected by parliament to replace retiring number one worry of the Swiss people. In a members (Economics) and recent public opinion poll, 73 per cent of Hans Hürlimann (Interior). Mr Egli takes those questioned gave unemployment as In similar over the vacant Interior Ministry, while Mr their main concern. a survey only Friedrich becomes Justice and Police two years ago unemployment was in fifth Minister. place. , Justice and Police Minister Economics Minister for the past 11 years and the longest-serving PARLIAMENT has rejected a proposed Kurt Furg/er, 58 of the present cabinet, moves to the amnesty /or the more than 1,000 young (Christian Democrat] Economics Ministry. Mr Furgler - widely people convicted or aivaiting trial /o//ou>ing 4 reporting from Berne

the iw'despread youth unrest which shook an insult to young people who had had Anthony Duke, had just come back from Swiss cities in 1980 and 1981. nothing to do with the riots. Switzerland, she added, and in the towns A/ter listening to some 50 speakers in two and streets there they had seen not a scrap days o/ intense debate, the House o/ BACK in Britain recently for a visit to family of litter anywhere. It was a dreadful thing that Hepresentatiues rejected the amnesty by 97 and friends in Wiltshire, I was naturally in- people coming from abroad to Warminster, cotes to 79. In the Senate, the cote was 31 to trigued to learn that my little home town has or to anywhere in the country, should have 8. - in the words of the local newspaper - been to put up with seeing A The amnesty had been urged by liberal "thinking Swiss". mess about the place. ^ Swiss church groups as a gesture o/ recon- According to the Warminster Journal: However, the newspaper also reported a ciliation, and had aroused support among ^ When Warminster town councillors cautionary remark about Switzerland by Swiss keen to smooth ocer the deep dici- contemplate the beauties of another council member. He commented: the • sions in society here exposed by distur- Switzerland, their thoughts turn not so much "There was no trouble there, I'll admit. But bances in Zurich and other cities. to snow, lakes and the Alps, as to a wonder- everybody seems to go to bed at eight A public opinion poll last summer in- land of clean pavements and car parks free o'clock." dicated that some 64 per cent o/ a/I Swiss of broken glass. Except, of course, youth demonstrators. would be prepared to accept at least a partial More than once at Monday evening's ses- amnesty /or young protesters. Supporters o/ sion the condition of the Swiss was upheld as the moce argued that prosecuting the something to which slovenly Warminster folk The Swiss football league demonstrators grouped them with common might aspire. programme resumes this month criminals and would only serce to deepen Thinking Swiss began when the Mayor, after the traditional winter break. the generation gap. Mrs Alcia Duke reported on the progress of Latest league tables were But opponents o/ the amnesty described her own anti-litter campaign. published in the January edition the proposal as an incitement to crime and She and her husband, deputy mayor Mr of the Swiss Observer.

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