The week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Swiss gun laws are back in the headlines after a fatal shooting with a legally bought semi-automatic weapon. “Other countries are astonished by Switzerland’s approach to firearms,” declared newspaper Blick. “Following the incident in Aarau, the country’s gun laws are coming under pressure.” Will anything change? The problem, according to some conservative politicians, is that tightening the laws leads to more paperwork.
Just after 2:30am on Sunday, a man fired around 40 shots into the crowd at a rave in Aarau, northern Switzerland. The shooter fled the scene, leaving a 22-year-old Italian woman dead and six people injured, some seriously.
As police hunted for the person or people responsible, speculation about the motive was rife: Was it terrorism? A revenge attack? At around 1am on Monday, a 43-year-old Swiss citizen from canton Jura was arrested after walking into a police station and giving himself up. During questioning, he said he had been suffering from health problems for some time and referred to “mental health issues”.
On Wednesday investigators said the gunman had acted alone, but his reasons for doing so remained unknown. “We have no evidence of ideological or extremist motives,” said a prosecutor. The man did not know the victims and has no particular link to Aarau, police said.
The authorities said the man had shot into the crowd with a semi-automatic AKS-74 Kalashnikov and two pistols, which he had bought – legally – in Jura 20 years ago. As various media pointed out, today such weapons require a special licence. The political debate has reignited. “Some politicians are already calling for tighter restrictions, while others are warning against increased bureaucracy,” reported Blick.
Several big Swiss companies announced job cuts this week, affecting staff both in Switzerland and abroad.
On Monday the Swiss air traffic control company Skyguide said it now expected a total of 50 redundancies by next spring as part of its restructuring programme. This is half the figure that had been anticipated a month-and-a-half ago at the end of the consultation process, noted Swiss public broadcaster RTS. Skyguide said the aim remains to cut 200 jobs in order to save CHF51 million ($63 million).
On Tuesday Swiss Life said it would cut around 600 jobs by 2028. “The insurer is on track with its financial results but is reducing its workforce. Half of the job losses will be in Switzerland,” reported the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). “The job cuts were justified, among other things, ‘on the basis of the opportunities presented by advancing digitalisation’.” The job cuts at Swiss Life could set a precedent for other Swiss insurers, warned an expert.
On Wednesday pharma giant Novartis said it would cut up to 130 jobs in Basel by the end of next year. It said other biologics sites around the world would take over the tasks of the Basel plant because individual lease agreements at the Kleinbasel site were coming to an end.
The Swiss government says it “clearly rejects and condemns” conversion therapy aimed at queer people and is now open to a national ban on the practice.
“Conversion therapy targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTIQ+) people also takes place in Switzerland and can cause considerable suffering to those affected,” the government said in a report on Wednesday.
In the government’s opinion, existing law already provides comprehensive protection, but as an increasing number of cantons are introducing their own legal measures, “a uniform regulation against conversion therapy at federal level could be appropriate”.
“For years, the government was firmly opposed to a ban on conversion therapy,” noted the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). “It has now changed its stance. But it has left the question of implementation open.”
The government pointed out that the drafting of a corresponding criminal law provision would require a clear mandate from parliament. The Senate’s Legal Affairs Committee will now decide how to proceed with the motion.
Is anyone missing a three-metre carpet python? If so, the Zurich cantonal police would love to hear from you.
The snake was discovered “lost” in a wood near Sennhof, Winterthur, the police said on Monday. It was eventually captured by a reptile specialist from the Animal and Environmental Protection Department.
The snake is non-venomous and has now been safely rehoused, the police added. The police are asking if anyone recognises this “impressive creature” or knows where it usually lives. So far, no owner has come forward, nor have any leads been received, a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Several concerned readers of Blick speculated that the snake’s owner had dumped it after it got too much of a handful.
The week ahead
The winners of this year’s Balzan Prize will be announced on Monday. The four subject areas, two in the sciences and two in the humanities, change every year. Each recipient receives CHF750,000 ($925,000), half of which must be used for research.
On Thursday MeteoSwiss, the Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology, will publish a detailed report on the record-breaking summer of 2026.
Friday marks 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Many Swiss newspapers have been looking at how the attacks continue to shape geopolitics and the global economy.
More than 40 organisations are launching the first National Week Against Food Waste on Saturday, running until the following Sunday, September 20.
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