2003

While the "adult" Switzerland argued about the "magic formula" in the Federal Council, the young people discussed under the motto "Integration" how social minorities can be better integrated. As minorities, the youth session listed foreigners, people with disabilities, the working poor, senior citizens and young people. The young people were particularly pleased about the discussions with Federal Councillor Ruth Metzler, who visited various working groups. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to bring the interesting discussions to a conclusion. The participants were unable to reach a consensus on whether rejected asylum seekers should continue to receive social assistance or not. In terms of integration, the young people called for several measures to improve everyday contact and coexistence between all groups in Switzerland. They called for the regularization of Sans-Papiers, the introduction of a youth council and communal officers to promote relations between generations. They also called for the introduction of family allowances. The participants of the youth session not only bring more life and color into the National Council chamber, they also bring new challenges to the Federal Parliament: As the NZZ of 31.10.2003 reports, the start of the youth session was delayed because the numerous piercings of the young people presented the metal detector of the security control with new and unusual challenges.