Four months ahead of parliamentary elections in Switzerland, the presidents of the four government parties met in Berne to discuss those topics likely to dominate their campaigns.

Four months ahead of parliamentary elections in Switzerland, the presidents of the four government parties met in Berne to discuss those topics likely to dominate their campaigns.

Pictured above are, from left to right, Adalbert Durrer (President, Christian Democratic Party), Ursula Koch (President, Social Democratic Party), Franz Steinegger (President, Radical Party) and Ueli Maurer (President, Swiss People's Party).

Koch, Durrer and Steinegger all agreed that security in its different forms would be the campaign's main theme. Durrer said the Christian Democrats would work towards a healthy standard for the middle income groups. For its part, the conservative People's Party said its priorities would be Switzerland's independence and political asylum.

Durrer and Koch underlined the likely importance of social security issues during the campaign. Koch added that Swiss society should retain its solidarity and not tolerate that the country become divided into rich and poor.

The Radicals, Christian Democrats and Social Democrats said they wanted Switzerland to pursue a more active foreign policy. The party presidents said the rejection of Sion as the host town for the 2006 Winter Olympics showed that Switzerland was not being rewarded for its non-membership of international organisations.


Source: sda-ats

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