Alain Berset receives Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in Berne; she has also come for the 60th anniversary of Switzerland’s accession. They discuss the follow-up to Reykjavik, where in May the 4th Summit adopted principles for democracy and created the register of damage caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Switzerland […]
At the Kongresshaus in Zurich, before some 350 guests, Alain Berset delivers the Federal Council’s message at the Business Day. The theme, six weeks before the federal elections: “Wahlen 2023: Perspektiven statt Wunschdenken”. Christoph Mäder, President of economiesuisse, calls there for progress on the Bilaterals III. Berset talks about artificial intelligence. He opens with a […]
The Federal Office of Culture’s Swiss Music Awards are presented for the first time in the Grosse Halle of the Reitschule in Berne. The Grand Award goes to the trumpeter Erik Truffaz. Among the winners: Sonja Moonear, Mario Batkovic, Lucia Cadotsch, Saadet Türköz; special awards to Helvetiarockt, Kunstraum Walcheturm and the rapper Pronto. Alain Berset […]
At the invitation of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Alain Berset represents Switzerland at the annual meeting of the heads of state of the six German-speaking countries, at Laeken Castle. Around the table: Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Alexander Van der Bellen, Grand Duke Henri, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein. The format has existed since 2004; Switzerland hosted […]
At the Parliament Building, a ceremony for the 175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution of 1848. Alain Berset speaks of a “masterstroke”: a risky, bold act, written in 51 days, while the great powers were crushing their revolutions. He highlights Ulrich Ochsenbein, who chaired the drafting committee: he understood that the defeated of the Sonderbund […]
At the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, Alain Berset opens the exhibition “Sprachenland Schweiz” (Switzerland, a land of languages), on show from 15 September 2023 to 14 January 2024. Visitors follow the route with headphones, in five languages, from the Röstigraben to the Jura question. At the opening, the Bernese poet Ariane von Graffenried reads […]
Alain Berset leads the Swiss delegation to the opening of the 78th General Assembly. On 18 September, he takes part in the summit on the Sustainable Development Goals, which is held only every four years: only 12% of the 169 targets are on track. He is the first speaker at a round table on science, […]
The Fribourg concert venue Fri-Son celebrates its 40th anniversary. Alain Berset speaks there, on the evening of his meeting with Albin Kurti in Berne. His speech is a mock palaeontology lesson: “1983: discovery, in Switzerland, in Fribourg, of Homo Fri-Sonus”. He recalls the origins: the 1981 Fri-Art exhibition, born in opposition to the conventional celebrations […]
Alain Berset receives Albin Kurti at the Federal Palace for a courtesy visit. Kurti is accompanied by his Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku. The talks cover northern Kosovo and the normalisation with Serbia initiated by the EU. Berset calls for the implementation of the Brussels and Ohrid agreements, including the Kosovan government’s commitment to grant […]
Alain Berset walks the green carpet and speaks at the opening night of the 19th Zurich Film Festival. Opening film: “Dream Scenario”, with Nicolas Cage. The festival shows 148 films, including 52 world or European premieres, a record. “2023 ist ein seltsames Film-Jahr.” Harrison Ford is 30 again, Tom Cruise 25; he himself, the longest-serving […]
Alain Berset opens the Building Bridges summit at the CICG in Geneva, after an introduction by Patrick Odier, who chairs the foundation. Two weeks earlier, he was at the summit on the Sustainable Development Goals in New York. His finding: only a fraction of the 2015 commitments will be met. “It is a question of […]
Alain Berset represents Switzerland at the 3rd Summit of the European Political Community, in Granada: 47 states and the EU institutions. On the programme: security in Europe, energy, geopolitics. With Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he co-chairs a round table on multilateralism and the geostrategic and security situation. The EPC was born in Prague in […]
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