US President Donald Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF), tennis star Roger Federer and the Swiss football team’s “double-headed eagle” controversy at the Russia World Cup dominated foreign and social media’s coverage of the small Alpine nation this year, Presence Switzerland reports.
Bideau felt they reflected “the country’s openness towards the world, its competitiveness, commitment and its cultural diversity”.
Trump was the first US president to attend the Davos summit since Bill Clinton in 2000 and gave a highly anticipated keynote speech. Federer, meanwhile, is back at the summit of world tennis and in the year-end top three ATP rankings for a record 14th time.
More
More
Eagle gesture puts spotlight on Swiss Kosovar community
This content was published on
“Albanian eagle” goal celebrations by Swiss footballers with ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo have sparked controversy.
In June, Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, who have ethnic Albanian heritage linked to Kosovo, sparked controversy in their goal celebrations during their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Serbia in a 2018 World Cup Group clash. The pair put their open hands together to mimic the double-headed black eagle on the Albanian flag. Captain Stephan Lichtsteiner also made the gesture during the match. Serbs were unimpressed. FIFA, world football’s governing body, later fined them for “unsporting behaviour”. The incident led to a public debate about dual nationality in the Swiss football team.
In their reporting on migration and integration, foreign media also picked up the story of a Muslim couple in Lausanne who were refused citizenship and the full-face veil ban in canton St Gallen, Presence Switzerland said.
Presence Switzerland said Switzerland’s role as a financial centre drew less media attention than in the past, and this specific coverage was generally “more favourable”.
The foreign ministry department said the overall volume of articles about Switzerland by foreign journalists had steadily decreased since 2015. It said this was largely due to budget cuts to foreign news services.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Job prospects remain good in Switzerland – apart from in Ticino
This content was published on
Employment prospects remain positive in Switzerland as a whole, but they are negative in southern Italian-speaking canton Ticino.
This content was published on
In an international comparison, Swiss adults perform above average in the basic skills of reading, everyday math and problem solving.
New carrier particle discovered for transporting drugs in body
This content was published on
Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have discovered particles that can be used to deliver drugs precisely, for example to a cancerous tumour in the body.
Swiss parliament clears way for new start with e-ID
This content was published on
A new attempt to introduce electronic proof of identity has been made in Switzerland. The Senate has resolved the final differences in the legal provisions on a state e-ID.
Sixteen-day Swiss campaign against gender-based violence ends
This content was published on
The 16-day campaign against gender-based violence came to an end on Tuesday. Several hundred organizations mobilized across Switzerland during this period.
Swiss parliament wants CHF15 million for women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
Parliament wants Switzerland to support next year's European Women's Football Championship with CHF15 million ($17 million).
Rare Roman coin auctioned for almost CHF2 million in Geneva
This content was published on
A rare Roman coin with a portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, was sold at a Geneva auction on Monday for CHF1.89 million ($2.15 million), according to the organiser of the sale.
Swiss Senate approves federal budget without opposition
This content was published on
The Swiss army will receive an additional CHF530 million in 2025, and no cuts will be made to direct payments for agriculture. What is unclear is how much will be saved on foreign aid.
Swiss suspend decisions on asylum-seekers from Syria
This content was published on
Asylum procedures and decisions for asylum-seekers from Syria will be suspended with immediate effect until the situation can be reassessed, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Does Switzerland’s image suffer from bad press?
This content was published on
As the Swiss at home and abroad celebrate their National Day, we look at what the world thinks of Switzerland despite recent negative press.
Alps once again shoulder the image of Switzerland abroad
This content was published on
Switzerland’s mountains, long the emblems of its image abroad, were once again the central focus of international attention in 2017.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.