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Swiss power goes to women
Source: Agencies |
September 23, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SWITZERLAND'S parliament yesterday gave women a majority on its seven-member governing executive council for the first time in its history, less than 40 years after Swiss women gained the right to vote.
The parliament chose 50-year-old consumer advocate and Social Democrat Simonetta Sommaruga to one of two vacant seats on the Federal Council, or Cabinet, made up of representatives from the biggest parties in the consensus-based government.
Two seats were made vacant this summer after Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz from the liberal Free Democrats and Infrastructure Minister Moritz Leuenberger from the Social Democrats resigned ahead of the 2011 parliamentary elections.
The vote for the second vacant seat was due later yesterday.
Switzerland's biggest parties are given places on the governing council according to an informal formula loosely based on how many parliamentary seats they win.
Women only gained the federal right to vote in Switzerland in 1971.
The parliament chose 50-year-old consumer advocate and Social Democrat Simonetta Sommaruga to one of two vacant seats on the Federal Council, or Cabinet, made up of representatives from the biggest parties in the consensus-based government.
Two seats were made vacant this summer after Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz from the liberal Free Democrats and Infrastructure Minister Moritz Leuenberger from the Social Democrats resigned ahead of the 2011 parliamentary elections.
The vote for the second vacant seat was due later yesterday.
Switzerland's biggest parties are given places on the governing council according to an informal formula loosely based on how many parliamentary seats they win.
Women only gained the federal right to vote in Switzerland in 1971.
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