Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Can politicians who lie be prosecuted? That is what one parliamentarian is proposing. Carlo Sommaruga from the left-wing Social Democratic Party thinks measures are needed to prevent a repeat of the scandal surrounding the price of the F-35 fighter jets.
One major question remains: where does a mistake end and a lie begin? The debate has undoubtedly only just begun.
Parliament’s autumn session began today. Debates in the Senate on the package of agreements with the European Union and the free trade agreement with the Mercosur states are likely to attract attention beyond Switzerland’s borders.
Three days of the session will be devoted to the package agreed two years ago with Brussels following years of tension. Three points are expected to spark heated exchanges between the political camps: the dynamic incorporation of European law; the protection of wages; and a safeguard clause in the event of immigration deemed excessive in Switzerland.
Following the House of Representative’s rejection of the free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries, the matter has now reached the Senate, where it stands a better chance of passing. The House of Representative’s Foreign Affairs Committee is proposing an agricultural support package worth over CHF500 million ($610 million) in an attempt to win over the farming community.
Issues surrounding dual nationality and the numerous proposals likely to be put to a referendum could also be of concern to Swiss citizens living abroad. A parliamentary initiative by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party proposes, in particular, to require foreign nationals to renounce their other nationality in order to obtain a Swiss passport. Although this measure does not apply to Swiss citizens living abroad, it touches on a widespread reality within the diaspora, where dual nationality is common.
Parliamentarian Carlo Sommaruga wants to punish political lying by making it a criminal offence. This is an idea that has already gained ground in other countries.
Sommaruga, from the left-wing Social Democratic Party, today tabled a parliamentary initiative proposing to make deliberate political lies an offence punishable by up to three years in prison, Le Matin Dimanche reported. The text targets members of federal, cantonal and municipal executive bodies who knowingly provide false information publicly or to an authority.
He believes that lessons must be learnt from the F-35 affair. Last week, a report revealed that no fixed price had ever been agreed with the United States for the purchase of the fighter jets, contrary to what those responsible for the deal had claimed. “I have been approached by shocked members of the public who cannot understand why those responsible for this fiasco face no consequences for their lies,” Sommaruga told the Sunday newspaper.
This debate is already taking place in other countries. Wales, in particular, has passed a law penalising lies during general elections. In France, the Green Party candidate in the presidential election, Marine Tondelier, is proposing a law that would make politicians found guilty of deliberate lies ineligible for office.
While the weekend was marked by calls from several leading figures in artificial intelligence (AI) to slow down the development of this technology in order to limit its risks, universities are also considering how to integrate it into their teaching.
“In the face of AI, universities must take back control of their own destiny,” says the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lausanne, Christophe Champod, in an interview with the newspaper Le Temps to mark the start of the academic year. In his view, the real issue is not whether to accept or reject artificial intelligence, but to understand how to use it, regulate it and assess its consequences for society.
However, he does not believe that banning AI from lecture theatres is the solution. Instead, he advocates adapting teaching methods, for example by placing greater emphasis on oral assessments. “Our students must not be fed information by AI but supported by it,” he emphasises.
Artificial intelligence is already having a tangible impact on certain degree programmes. As highlighted by the NZZ am Sonntag, a degree in economics is no longer the guarantee of employment that it once was. At some universities, up to one in six students fails to find a job immediately after graduation. One explanation put forward is the gradual disappearance of certain entry-level roles, which are being replaced by AI tools in a labour market already under pressure.
It’s not always easy to monitor what children are doing online and the risks to which they are exposed. Today in Bern the Swiss Child Protection Foundation launched a prevention campaign against online sexual offences.
The figures speak volumes about the severity of the problem: the reporting service clickandstop.ch has received more than 10,000 reports of child sexual abuse material since its launch in 2022. More than one in four teenagers in Switzerland have been asked to send intimate photos, according to the 2024 JAMES study.
The campaign aims to raise awareness among adults and provide practical strategies. Several pieces of advice are offered: listen to young people, agree on clear rules for the use of digital media, and lead by example. A video illustrates how adults can ensure young people’s safety in the digital world.
Child Protection Switzerland is also calling for effective legal provisions in the draft federal law on communication platforms. The foundation believes that the responsibility for protecting children should not rest solely with parents.
Translated from French, sub-edited by ts
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