Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 31 Women’s session calls for more equality It was women only in the Federal Palace during the last weekend inOctober, when the secondwomen’s session (the first was in 1991) was held to establish the political position of women in Switzerland. Themain demands were greater equality and equal pay, the eradication of old-age poverty among women, the creation of a federal office for equality and family, and the establishment of a research programme for gendermedicine. Thewomen’s session produced a total of 23 petitions, which now go to the National Council and Council of States for approval. (MUL) Switzerland approves second cohesion contribution At the end of September, the Swiss Parliament approved a second cohesion contribution, totalling 1.3 billion Swiss francs. The funds are to support development in new and economically disadvantaged EU member states. The contribution is in return for the benefits Switzerland gains by having access to these markets. Given the current tension between Berne and Brussels, parliament initially wanted tomake the funds contingent on certain conditions, but ultimately decided against it. (MUL) Australia opens embassy in Switzerland After a gap of 30 years, Australia is once again opening an embassy in Switzerland. This is somewhat unusual, asmany countries have closed or merged embassies in recent years. Australia emphasises that the newembassywill strengthen the political, economic, strategic, cultural and scientific ties that bind the two countries together. (MUL) Criticism of the use of force in asylum centres An investigationhas concluded that security staffhave used “disproportionate force” on a number of occasions in federal asylumcentres. However, according to former Supreme Court judge Niklaus Oberholzer, who led the investigation, the documented instances of disproportionate and unlawful conduct do not constitute a systematic failure to respect the rights of asylum seekers in federal centres. (MUL) New minimum tax rate “feasible” for Switzerland Switzerland is not happy about the large industrialised nations’ plan to apply a global minimumcorporate tax rate of 15 percent. The reformwould affect 18 Swiss cantons in particular, where corporate income tax is below 15 percent. Nevertheless, following some initial scepticism, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer does not envisage “any major problems”. The new tax regime is considered “feasible” for Switzerland, although some companies will inevitably have to pay more tax in future. (MUL) Heinz Frei Parasports receive less media attention than so called able-bodied sports. And Heinz Frei is less well-known than, say, tennis player Belinda Bencic, gold medal winner in the Tokyo Olympic Games. And yet, Frei’s story is incredible!.On 1 September, at the Paralympic Games, the 63-year-old athlete fromBernewon the silvermedal in road handcycling. He cycled 78 km in the driving rain using just the strength of his arms. This was the 16th time he has participated in the Paralympic Games, in which he has won a haul of 16 gold medals in athletics, handcycling and cross-country skiing. Superhuman! This exceptional sporting tale began with an accident. The year was 1978 and the young Heinz was running in the mountains. He fell and broke his spine at his ribcage. The result was paraplegia. “Am I going tomanage? Is life in a wheelchair worth living?” Heinz Frei asked himself. Then, two years later, he returned to sports with a modified wheelchair. The idea of limitations has underpinned his journey. “It is important to have realistic objectives that lead step by step to success, and that allow you to achieve what is possible, rather than aiming for a utopia which will always remain a fantasy. This means accepting deep down that there are limits,” he explains on the website of a Swiss stairliftmanufacturer. In Tokyo, on the Fuji International Speedway, Heinz Frei took risks and succeeded inwinning the silvermedal, which he describes as his gold medal. “Today, the real winner is my body,” he states. After his accident, the sportsman had to refamiliarise himself with this new body, “until it became [his] friend”. Mission accomplished. STÉPHANE HERZOG Top Pick News
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx