Ruth Dreifuss

Support of the Third World with the policy

It is laid off science economic Université of Geneva.
It is journalist with Coopération of 1961 with 1964
Assistant-sociologist in the Center psycho-academic of Geneva of 1965 with 1968
Assistante at the University of Geneva of 1970 with 1972.
It is then assistant scientist with the direction of the co-operation and the humanitarian aid of the federal department of the foreign affairs, of 1972 with 1981.
It is secretary of the Swiss European Public Service Union of November 1st, 1981 to the March 31st 1993.
It is socialist member of the Council of Town of Bern (communal Parliament) of 1989 with 1992. In 1991, it fails to be made elect national adviser.

Election animated at the Federal council

the March 3rd 1993, Christiane Brunner is presented by the Swiss Socialist party to succeed its federal adviser Rene Felber.
But the middle-class majority elects the Socialist neuchâtelois Francis Matthey. This last, not having the approval of the bodies of its party, gives up its election, which causes a new crisis in the Swiss political history.
At this point in time the socialist party indicates Ruth Dreifuss and Christiane Brunner with the new poll organized the March 10th.
Ruth Dreifuss carries it with the 3rd ballot with 144 votes after having outdistanced Christiane Brunner.

Political action

Ruth Dreifuss directs the federal department of the interior of April 1st 1993 to the December 31st 2002 with the responsibility of reform the Social Security.
It succeeds in making accept:

a revision of the health insurance (December 4th 1994)
the 10th revision of the State pension schemes and surviving (June 25th 1995)
a policy of the Drug founded on the principle of the 4 pillars (prevention, therapy, assistance with survival and repression).

It is the first woman to have been president of the Confederation, in 1999 and it will be necessary to await 2007 for in even a second, with Micheline Calmy-Rey. Second woman elected at the Federal council after Elisabeth Kopp in 1984, Dreifuss is up to now the only member of confession.

Activity after the Federal council

After its departure of the government, it supports in particular the introduction of the Assurance-maternité voted at the time of the Référendum of the September 26th 2004, freedom of movement of the people with the European Union and is opposed to the restrictions rights from abroad and applicants of asylum. It intervenes regularly in the public debate, in particular when the Social Security is threatened.

Its international implication

Ruth Dreifuss also counts among the founding members of the ethical, political and scientific Collegium international, association which wishes to bring answers intelligent and suitable until the people of the world vis-a-vis the new challenges of our time wait.

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