Pierre Graber facts for kids
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Pierre Graber (born December 6, 1908 – died July 19, 2003) was an important Swiss politician. He was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1970 to 1978. The Federal Council is like the main government team in Switzerland.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Pierre Graber was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a town in Switzerland. He studied law in two cities: Neuchâtel in Switzerland and Vienna in Austria. After finishing his studies, he became a lawyer in Lausanne.
His Political Journey
Pierre Graber was a member of the Social Democratic Party. This party works to make society fairer for everyone. He started his political career in his hometown of Lausanne.
Early Roles in Government
- He was part of the city parliament of Lausanne from 1934 to 1946. This means he helped make decisions for the city.
- He also served in the parliament of the Vaud area (called a canton) from 1937 to 1946.
- From 1946 to 1949, he was the mayor of Lausanne. This was a very important job, leading the city.
National and International Work
- Pierre Graber was a member of the National Council for many years (1942–1969). This is like the main national parliament.
- He was even the Speaker of this important group in 1965 and 1966.
- He worked on the Foreign Affairs committee, dealing with Switzerland's relationships with other countries.
- He also helped look into a big plane purchase issue, known as the Mirage affair.
Leading the Canton of Vaud
From 1962 to 1970, he was part of the government for the Vaud area. He was in charge of the money department, managing the canton's finances. He also helped solve a long-standing issue about the Jura region.
Joining the Swiss Federal Council
On December 10, 1969, Pierre Graber was chosen to join the Swiss Federal Council. This is the highest executive body in Switzerland. While in this role, he was the head of the Political Department. This is like being the foreign minister, dealing with international relations.
In 1975, he became the President of the Confederation. This is a special role, like being the country's president for one year. He finished his time in the Federal Council on January 31, 1978.
Key Achievements and Challenges
During his time in office, several important things happened:
- A new law was passed to help other countries develop.
- Switzerland agreed to the European Convention on Human Rights in 1974. This agreement protects basic rights for people.
- He helped start the building of the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg in 1972. This building is for the Council of Europe, which works for human rights and democracy.
- In 1975, he signed the Helsinki Final Act for Switzerland. This was an agreement to improve relations between countries during the Cold War.
- He also helped Switzerland recognize North Vietnam and North Korea as independent countries.
- He led a meeting that created new rules for the Geneva Conventions in 1977. These rules help protect people during wars.
- He faced a difficult situation in 1970 when a Swissair plane was hijacked in Zarqa, Jordan.
Even after he retired, Pierre Graber continued to share his thoughts on important issues. For example, he spoke about Switzerland's attempt to join the United Nations in 1986.
Death
Pierre Graber passed away from a stroke in Lausanne in 2003. He was 94 years old.
