Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The army is still grabbing the headlines. In order to make it more effective in these uncertain times, additional funds are to be freed up. And that quickly runs into the billions.
An increase in VAT is apparently not enough. That is why certain circles in parliament want to incur additional debts in order to "arm the army".
Warm greetings from Bern
The Senate has decided to raise VAT by 0.2 percentage points in order to generate additional funds for the army. Originally, the Federal Council had requested an increase of 0.5 percentage points. The remaining amount is to be covered from the general federal budget according to the Senate commission’s proposal.
The aim of the measure is to plug an additional financial gap of CHF24 billion for the army. Proponents from the ranks of the centre and the right-wing parties justify this on the grounds of an intensified security situation and the need for credible deterrence.
The political left criticises the planned temporal decoupling of financing. The armaments fund is to be set up as early as next year and enable a debt of up to CHF12 billion, while the referendum on the VAT increase is not scheduled until two years later. This poses risks for the federal budget.
After the decision of the Senate, the bill moves on to the House of Representatives.
Did the aid organisation Terre des Hommes once abuse foreign children for medical experiments? An investigation by Le Temps provides those affected a chance to share their stories for the first time. They have been searching for their origins for decades and are confronted with gaps or falsifications in their documents.
As the Beobachter revealed this June, in the 1960s and 1970s, around 2,000 foreign adopted children were isolated in quarantine and subjected to experiments. In addition, high-risk heart operations led to several deaths.
Politicians in several cantons are demanding clarification about the role of the authorities, as reported by the Swiss public broadcaster RTS. Terre des Hommes announced investigations into its archives, while the management shifts the responsibility for the medical tests to the hospitals of the time.
According to Le Temps, doctors at the time defended the quarantines as normal protection against infection. Historians emphasise that they were routine tests, but a lack of paperwork and a lack of assistance still weigh heavily on those affected today.
The number of people in Switzerland who are under the protection of the Child and Adult Protection Authority (KESB) has reached a new record. But is this a sign of a society in crisis or of an attentive system?
At the end of 2025, 164,336 people were affected by such a protection measure, according to the agency. This is a new high. In 10 years, child protection cases have risen by 20% and adult protection cases by 26%.
This is not primarily a cause for concern. Rather, the increase shows that those seeking help receive support earlier, schools are more attentive and mental health is discussed more openly.
At the same time, the statistics reveal bottlenecks. As RTS reports, long waiting times for psychiatric help, overburdened women’s shelters and loneliness in old age mean that the authorities have to intervene more and more often.
Is it sudden openness or pure calculation? After weeks of massive criticism, FIFA President Gianni Infantino surprises with a conciliatory letter to the football world. In it, the Valaisan proposes reforms and external audits.
After months of pressure from a failed investor deal, Infantino pulls the emergency brake. As Watson reports, the ailing FIFA boss proposes direct talks to the 211 member associations. In doing so, he wants to involve the regional associations more closely in strategic decisions again.
The initiative contains surprising concessions. According to Der Spiegel, Infantino announced an independent, external review of FIFA governance. Even the power of the presidency and measures for more transparency are said to be up for discussion.
Whether there is real insight behind this remains controversial. As SRF emphasises, the letter does not yet contain any concrete solutions, but above all invitations to dialogue. Critics therefore suspect more of a maneuver to retain power before the next election.
Translated from German, sub-edited by Anand Chandrasekhar
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