Alain Berset speaks about quality at the Forum Gesundheit Schweiz. He notes with irony that the word appears only six times in the Constitution, “gleich häufig wie Frieden, Zweitwohnungen und Spezialfinanzierung”. His starting point: the quality of the Swiss health system is high, thanks to compulsory insurance and trained staff. But it must be measured […]
The Swiss Film Awards ceremony takes place at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, in the presence of Alain Berset. “Ceux qui travaillent” by Antoine Russbach and “Chris the Swiss” by Anja Kofmel each win three awards. Alain Berset gives the tribute to Beki Probst, Honorary Award for a career devoted to bringing films to audiences. […]
On 25 March in Tunis, Alain Berset and the Minister of Social Affairs, Mohamed Trabelsi, sign a social security agreement. It covers old age, survivors and invalidity, guarantees equal treatment and allows pensions to be paid abroad. He is received by President Béji Caïd Essebsi and by the Head of Government, Youssef Chahed, then meets […]
In Liestal, Alain Berset speaks at the celebration of the centenary of Carl Spitteler’s Nobel Prize. Spitteler is the only Swiss-born writer to have received it and, in his words, “der grosse Unbekannte der Schweizer Literatur- und Geistesgeschichte”. He first jokes about the fourteen years of work on “Prometheus und Epimetheus”, which console him a […]
Alain Berset opens the 50th edition of the documentary film festival in Nyon, with the President of the Vaud Council of State, Nuria Gorrite, the mayor, Daniel Rossellat, the festival president, Claude Ruey, and the artistic director, Emilie Bujès. He compares the history of the festival to growing up: born in 1969 under a purely […]
Alain Berset inaugurates the new exhibition hall of the Abbey precinct of St Gallen, a World Heritage site. The ninth-century Plan of St Gall is shown there a few seconds at a time, to protect the original from light. He defends a sense of history in a restless present: “Wer die Macht der Geschichte verkennt, […]
In Bucharest, Alain Berset attends the informal meeting of European Union health ministers, organised by the Romanian presidency. The dialogue covers timely and affordable access to innovative therapies, the fight against hepatitis C and the European directive on cross-border healthcare. On the sidelines, he holds several bilateral meetings: with the Romanian Minister of Health, Sorina […]
In Zurich, Alain Berset hosts the social affairs ministers of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. It is the second meeting in this format, after Vienna in 2016. Present are the Austrian minister Beate Hartinger-Klein, the Liechtenstein minister Mauro Pedrazzini, the German State Secretary Rolf Schmachtenberg and the Luxembourg First Government Counsellor Abilio Fernandes. The theme: […]
Alain Berset is the first member of the Federal Council to visit the Central African Republic. The armed conflict, under way since 2012, has hit civilians hard and damaged the health system; a peace agreement was signed on 5 February 2019 between the government and fourteen armed groups. Switzerland has funded humanitarian aid there since […]
Alain Berset opens the Swiss Pavilion at the 58th Art Biennale, “Moving Backwards”, by Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz, curated by Charlotte Laubard. The pavilion is organised by Pro Helvetia. He plays on the Biennale’s title, “May you live in interesting times”: in English, “interesting” often means its opposite; in German, an “interesting” idea has […]
The people approve the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing with 66.4% of the vote, on a turnout of 43.7%. All cantons vote yes. The reform abolishes preferential tax status for companies and, in return, brings some 2 billion francs a year to the AHV from 2020. Alain Berset had launched the Federal […]
Alain Berset opens the 72nd World Health Assembly at the Palais des Nations. On the agenda: the WHO’s 2020-2021 budget, its reform and universal health coverage. More than half of the world’s population still lacks access to basic care. He holds a series of bilateral meetings with health ministers. In the evening, he receives the […]
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