A week after the Paris attacks, Alain Berset closes, at the Zentrum Paul Klee, the Federal Commission against Racism’s campaign against online hate speech. More than 90 associations, schools, administrations and individuals ran its Facebook page. He calls for freedom to be defended “effektiv – aber nicht effekthascherisch”, and for terrorism not to be confused […]
Alain Berset speaks at the general assembly of the Swiss Pharmacists’ Association, held under the theme “Die Apotheken im Umbruch”. Upheaval, he notes, is not confined to pharmacies: it is topical in the Federal Council too, a few days before the renewal of the collegial body. He quotes George Archambault, the father of consultant pharmacy: […]
The Federal Assembly elects the Federal Council for the 2016–2019 legislative period. Alain Berset is re-elected in the first round with 210 votes, as are the five other incumbents standing again. Guy Parmelin (SVP) is elected in the third round to succeed Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. Sources Wikipedia, “2015 Swiss Federal Council election”
Six members of the Federal Council are in Davos for the WEF annual meeting. Alain Berset devotes two days to health policy and culture. On 20 January, he attends the opening of the forum by the President of the Confederation, Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, and Klaus Schwab. His talks cover the reforms under way and international […]
Alain Berset opens the 51st Solothurn Film Festival. For Swiss cinema, 2015 was the year of “Heidi”, the biggest Swiss box-office success of all time, and of “Schellen-Ursli”. He draws a conclusion from it: “Die Alpen sind offenbar unwiderstehlich.” He contrasts the two poles of Swiss identity: the Alps, unchanging, and direct democracy, “etwas nervöser, […]
Alain Berset and Philippe Perrenoud, member of a cantonal government and President of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Health Directors, bring together nearly 300 players from the health system in Berne. The third Health2020 national conference is devoted to unnecessary or excessive services: where they occur, why, and how to reduce them. In his opening […]
The Swiss National Museum opens “Dada Universal” to mark 100 years of the movement born at the Cabaret Voltaire. Alain Berset speaks at the opening, “in meiner Funktion als Kulturminister”, but also as minister for social insurance: “Brauchen wir das Rentenalter 85?” He presents Dada as a subversive humanism, which answers the chaos of war […]
At the National Library, Alain Berset presents the Swiss Grand Award for Literature to the Ticino writer Alberto Nessi. The Special Translation Award goes to Hartmut Fähndrich, translator of Arabic-language literature. His laudatio, in Italian, pays tribute to an author of closeness and of seemingly insignificant things. He quotes his line: “L’universale è il locale […]
At the lunch debate of the Forum Gesundheit Schweiz, Alain Berset argues for strengthening quality and cost-effectiveness in health insurance, and for the planned national quality network. He opens with the standing format of the meal: the campaign against sedentary lifestyles “wirkt – und das sogar bei ihren härtesten Kritikern”. Speeches on this site Forum […]
Alain Berset represents the Federal Council at the official opening day of the Geneva Motor Show, before the Geneva authorities and the management of the show. He greets the “friends of fine radiator grilles and walnut dashboards” and quotes Roland Barthes on the car on display, the object of a “tactile” and “amorous” discovery. Speeches […]
At the invitation of the British Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, and with Germany as co-sponsor, Alain Berset takes part in London in the first global ministerial summit on patient safety. The aim: to create a global movement to reduce the number of avoidable deaths in hospitals. For Switzerland, the subject falls under the Health2020 strategy. […]
Alain Berset opens the 30th edition of the FIFF in his home town. He starts from the final speech of Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator”: “You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful.” He pays tribute to a festival that has been showing cinema from Asia, Africa and Latin America for […]
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