Sense of security and trust remains high in Switzerland

Of all public institutions, police were most trusted by respondents of this survey. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Swiss people have managed to retain a high sense of security and faith in public institutions despite the difficulties of the pandemic, says the “Security 2021” report.

“Swiss citizens feel safe and have a high level of trust in the country’s institutions,” wrote on Tuesday the Military Academy (Milac) and the Centre for Security Studies (CSS), both affiliated with the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.

As in last year’s study, some 95% of the 1,228 respondents said they felt generally safe. However, they also reported viewing pandemics, cyberattacks, fake news and economic crises as more probable.

The overall level of optimism in the future, while still high (83%), was also down on last year (91%).

Beyond the country’s borders the situation is seen as less stable, especially after Covid-19, Brexit, the Capitol assault in Washington, and the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

Keeping faith

Respondents reported a high overall level of trust in public institutions, at 6.7 on a scale of 1 (“no trust”) to 10 (“full trust”).

Most trusted were the police (7.9), the courts (7.6), and the government (7.3). Parliament enjoyed a score of 6.9, while political parties (5.6) and the media (5.5) were less well-viewed.

The army had a value of 6.8, while some 73% said it is a “necessary” institution.

Swiss citizens are also massively attached to the principle of neutrality, with 96% of them backing it. Most also say they would like to see more openness in foreign relations, including when it comes to economic cooperation with the European Union.

At the same time, a large majority is against any membership or close partnership with the EU.

At the United Nations, however, a higher number said that Switzerland should participate more actively, notably by taking a seat on the Security Council or by participation in UN peacekeeping missions.