Switzerland Today

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Do you think Swiss parliamentarians should get involved in the EU's handling of the conflicts in Kosovo? Can a Swiss-inspired cheese become famous in Algeria? And could the cute and protected beavers be harmful to Swiss agriculture?

But first, let's look at Friday's news stories.

This content was published on July 7, 2023 - 18:00

5 minutes

Born and raised in Italy, Sara lived in the UK for a few years and then moved to Bern. As a multimedia journalist she loves to listen to people’s stories and bring news to social media, especially about human rights and climate change.

Boris Pistorius and Viola Amherd shaking hands in front of German and Swiss flags — © Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

In the news: Switzerland in the European air defence system Sky Shield, a possible solution to energy supply shortages and greenwashing accusations against Coca-Cola Switzerland.

Switzerland’s Defence Minister Viola Amherd signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in the European air defence system Sky Shield. Amherd announced the decision during a meeting in Bern with her German and Austrian counterparts, Boris Pistorius and Klaudia Tanner. When asked about the delicate issue of Switzerland’s neutrality, the minister answered: “Neutrality is not universally understood”.
Switzerland will secure gas from Italy in case of energy shortages. Switzerland and Italy signed an agreement on energy supply to protect themselves from possible future gas supply bottlenecks. This would help with securing gas “in the event of a supply shortage from Germany”, Swiss environment and energy minister Albert Rösti said in Rome.
Swiss Consumer Protection Foundation SKS has filed complaints against Swisscom, Coca-Cola Switzerland and six other Swiss companies which it says are practising illegal greenwashing. The organisation considers these companies’ advertising claims about climate neutrality misleading and has filed complaints to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on grounds that they violate Swiss competition law.

Photo of men protesting in Kosovo — Keystone / Georgi Licovski

Swiss left-wing politicians send a letter to EU about Kosovo expressing disappointment.

Swiss newspaper 20minutenExternal link reported that some 16 left-wing Swiss parliamentarians think that the European Union’s latest measures to maintain the sanctions on Kosovo are “disappointing”. Now, they want to take action and have written directly to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

Switzerland has previously condemned the violence in Kosovo riots. On Tuesday EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak said that the EU will not lift sanctions on Kosovo until the government de-escalates tensions.

“It is stabbing in the back the very government in the Western Balkans that is probably most firmly on the side of Ukraine and European democracy. This is disappointing for us as convinced Europeans,” they wrote.

The letter of protest finally asked von der Leyen to reconsider the measures: “The Republic of Kosovo and especially its citizens deserve that Europe opens the door to them and does not abandon them.”

Swiss-inspired cheese conquers Algeria.

What do you do to relax after work? Do you go for a run in the woods? Or read a nice book on the balcony? Well, computer consultant Rachid Ibersiene used to go to mountain chalets in Gruyere to learn the Swiss technique to make cheese. There the idea of “Tamgout” cheese was born.

This is a blend of the Swiss Gruyere and Dutch Gouda styles made from Algerian milk. After living for over 16 years in Switzerland, Ibersiene returned to his native Algeria and opened a dairy in the Algerian Atlas mountains.

“A Swiss idea, an Algerian cheese,” he said to Swiss public radio RTSExternal link. He was inspired by Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese and then adapted the “entire tradition to Algerian milk, which is different from Swiss milk,” Ibersiene said recalling his 15-year-long career in Algeria.

And the hard work has paid off, because he now has clients coming from all over the world, including Western diplomats and tourists.

Photo of a beaver in a water stream — Keystone/severin Bigler

Switzerland could become a beaver paradise: but for somebody it’s hell.

For centuries beavers have been hunted by humans, leading the species to the point of near extinction. So, hundreds of rewilding campaigns have tried to reintroduce beavers in Europe and Switzerland is one of the most successful examples. But not everybody is happy about it.

The Swiss beaver population has gradually increased in recent years and now “we have a gratifying number of almost 5,000 animals”, Christof Angst, head of the National Beaver Agency told SRFExternal link.

The latest survey shows that the beaver is now almost completely distributed along the largest Swiss rivers, also thanks to more advantageous living conditions. But, even if some parts of Switzerland cannot be considered a “beaver’s paradise”, these rodents are able to transform the habitats in their favour.

The presence of beavers can benefit the country’s biodiversity, help face the effects of climate change and avoid droughts by maintaining water supplies. However, by encroaching into small streams, the beaver is often responsible for the flooding of crops and meadows in Switzerland.

This is a huge problem for agriculture, because “if the farmer can no longer cultivate the area, he is practically expropriated”, said Thomas Jäggi from the Swiss Farmers’ Association. He added: “We have to admit that the protected animal has become a pest.”