GenevaLunch » Federal Council

Swiss federal finances “healthy”

Ellen Wallace — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:36:42 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – The Federal Council Wednesday 25 April approved the 2011 federal consolidated finances, with a surplus of CHF2.2 billion. The cabinet notes that they give an overall picture of decentralized and centralized government units in “good health” financially. The surplus is smaller than in the past three years. Bern publishes, in four languages [...]

Swiss federal finances “healthy” © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Fans rally behind WRS radio

Ellen Wallace — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:47:34 +0000

GenevaLunch.com GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – WRS public radio faces a decision in June by its parent SSR (Swiss Public Broadcasting) to either close it or sell it, but the station’s fans don’t intend to let it die without a fight. A private group has launched a petition-signing campaign, Save WRS, to at least give voice to the [...]

Fans rally behind WRS radio © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Time in the clinker, not money, is a deterrent, says Bern

Ellen Wallace — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:03:36 +0000

GenevaLunch.com Swiss to hand out tougher punishments in series of penal code reforms Judges will be able to order foreign criminal expulsions in public hearings BERN, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss federal government wants to bring back short jail sentences. The Federal Council announced late Wednesday 4 April that it will reintroduce sentences of three days to [...]

Time in the clinker, not money, is a deterrent, says Bern © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Swiss to put Too Big to Fail bank rules into effect 1 March

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:09:02 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – Switzerland will implement its tough new bank capitalization rules in two weeks, starting 1 March, the Federal Council said Wednesday. The measures calling for more risk capital were approved nearly a year ago by the council, then debated in parliament, which approved the amendment to the Banking Law in September. The new [...]

Swiss to put Too Big to Fail bank rules into effect 1 March © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Data and privacy issues are growing focus in US-Swiss talks: taxes, visas, banking

Ellen Wallace — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:25:32 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – Data privacy concern is increasingly raising its head in US-Swiss talks over taxes, visas and banking. The latest incident is linked to Switzerland’s decision to continue participating in the US visa waiver programme. Parliament will have its say in US data demands for visa waiver programme The Swiss Federal Council Wednesday 1 [...]

Data and privacy issues are growing focus in US-Swiss talks: taxes, visas, banking © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Joint parental custody moves a step closer to Swiss law

Ellen Wallace — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:46:10 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – Parents sharing custody of children no matter what their marital state moved a step closer to becoming Swiss law last week when the legal commission of the lower house voted with no opposition in favour of an upper house commission motion to change the law. Custody today is assigned to one or [...]

Joint parental custody moves a step closer to Swiss law © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

New Swiss government steps into office this week

Ellen Wallace — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:53:31 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – The new Swiss Federal Council, the country’s governing body of seven ministers, also sometimes referred to as the cabinet, moved into place 1 January, with Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf as president of the council and the country. The president’s post is traditionally a revolving one-year job, with parliament voting in the new leader. Each [...]

New Swiss government steps into office this week © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Swiss gov’t elections underway: two women are first councilors re-elected (update 2)

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:02:59 +0000

GenevaLunch.com Economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann re-elected UDC now fighting for Calmy-Rey’s seat, its last chance to add a party member to the council 11:30 BERN, SWITZERLAND – The last of 7 seats on the federal council is the focus of a tough fight between the Socialists and UDC parties, with the UDC arguing that Switzerland’s balance [...]

Swiss gov’t elections underway: two women are first councilors re-elected (update 2) © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Swiss gov’t puts legal onus on US-based bank acct. owners (update 2)

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:42:18 +0000

GenevaLunch.com Account holders domiciled abroad must ensure someone is designated as a contact in case of litigation BERN, SWITZERLAND – US citizens with Swiss bank accounts who are domiciled in the US and who have not clearly designated, in the bank’s files, a representative who can be contacted on their behalf ad litern (in case of [...]

Swiss gov’t puts legal onus on US-based bank acct. owners (update 2) © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

New parties strengthen Swiss centre

Laila Rodriguez — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:29:19 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – The slight increase that Swiss political observers were forecasting for the strength of the right during Switzerland’s parliamentary elections failed to materialize as voters turned to new parties to strengthen the centre. The UDC People’s Party and the Greens both lost significant ground to moderate parties with elements of their programs, rejecting [...]