Kurt Furgler
 Kurt Furgler    (politician) | |
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| Born | 24 June 1924 St. Gallen, Switzerland |
| Died | 23 July 2008 (Age 84) St. Gallen, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Alma mater | University of Fribourg, University of Zurich, IUHEI |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Member of | Club of Rome |
| Party | Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland |
President of Switzerland. 3 Bilderbergs, from 1970 to 1980. Wanted a strong central government and integration with the European Union.
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Kurt Furgler was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1972–1986).
He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 8 December 1971 and handed over office on 31 December 1986. He was affiliated to the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland.
He was President of the Confederation three times in 1977, 1981 and 1985.
Early life
Kurt Furgler was born and raised in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He studied Jurisprudence in Fribourg, Zürich, and Geneva, and was an avid handball player during his youth.
In 1948, he obtained his license to practice law in St. Gallen. As a conservative centrist in the Federal Council of Switzerland, he advocated equal rights for women, and initiated economic reforms and modernized immigration and Swiss family law.[1]
He was a Brigadier in the Swiss Army; that was the highest military rank of a federal councilor after the Second World War.
Politics
He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 8 December 1971 and handed over office on 31 December 1986. He was affiliated to the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland.
During his office time he held the following departments:
- Federal Department of Justice and Police (1972–1982)
- Federal Department of Economic Affairs (1983–1986)
He was President of the Confederation three times in 1977, 1981 and 1985.
On December 8, 1971, Furgler was elected to the Federal Council and took over the Justice and Police Department. Furgler played a controversial role in the espionage scandal surrounding Brigadier Jean-Louis Jeanmaire, who was convicted on very thin evidence.[2][3]
During his presidency, he argued for the European integration of Switzerland, and in 1982, signed the Luxembourg Declaration, which called for a closer cooperation between the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Dr. Furgler demanded a strong central government but failed to establish a Swiss federal police due to strong opposition from the left and confederated forces of the right.[4]
In November 1985, he asserted his significant representative role in international relations when he welcomed the American president Ronald Reagan, with first lady Nancy Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, for the first round of the arms control summit in Geneva.[5]
Kurt Furgler resigned unexpectedly in 1986, but continued to serve in a number of committees, including the Club of Rome, InterAction Council, and the International Olympic Committee.
Events Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1970 | 17 April 1970 | 19 April 1970 | Switzerland Hotel Quellenhof Bad Ragaz | the 19th Bilderberg meeting, in Switzerland. |
| Bilderberg/1978 | 21 April 1978 | 23 April 1978 | US New Jersey Princeton University | The 26th Bilderberg, held in the US |
| Bilderberg/1981 | 15 May 1981 | 17 May 1981 | Switzerland Palace Hotel Bürgenstock | The 29th Bilderberg |
References
- ↑ Alt Bundesrat Kurt Furgler gestorben (in German) (7-24-2008). NZZ online. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ↑ https://www.jungfrauzeitung.ch/artikel/180831/
- ↑ https://www.derbund.ch/kultur/buecher/der-fabrizierte-jahrhundertverrat/story/23631663
- ↑ Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (in German) Furgler, Kurt. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ↑ Official Monthly Record of United States Foreign Policy / Volume 86 / Number 21 06. Internet Archive, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
