Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The riots in France are also affecting the Swiss Abroad. We look to Paris, where they are experiencing the unrest first-hand, and to the planned youth strikes of the Young Socialists in Switzerland.
In addition, the race to succeed government minister Guy Parmelin is heating up.
Have a good read.
France is the country with the largest community of Swiss Abroad. The current demonstrations and riots are therefore also on the minds of many Swiss people on the ground. In Blick, they talk about how they experience the unrest in Paris. At the same time, two representatives of the Swiss Young Socialists want to take the protest to Switzerland.
A good 12,000 Swiss live in Paris. Gallery owner Esther Woerdehoff experiences the riots up close and worries about the future of the city, she tells Blick. A Swiss student also gets caught in the middle of the action. Other voices emphasise that the concerns of the predominantly peaceful demonstrators must not be overshadowed by the acts of violence committed by a minority.
Two representatives of the Young Socialists of Switzerland took part in the large demonstration in Paris. They were in Paris because they were planning an international youth strike together with 27 organizations from more than 10 countries. On November 20, rallies against defence buildup and austerity policies are planned in several Swiss cities. The Young Socialists do not expect an escalation like in France.
After the riots, the French government has reacted with local curfews. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu speaks of chaos in the urban centers and blames a movement from the extreme-left spectrum for the violence. Meanwhile, a possible anti-Semitic background of individual attacks is also an issue. There is no confirmed evidence of targeted arson against Jewish businesses so far.
The race to succeed Federal Council member Guy Parmelin is increasingly becoming a challenge for the Swiss People’s Party. Zurich’s health director Natalie Rickli is another prominent politician who has decided not to stand as a candidate.
Rickli justified her decision with her commitments in the canton of Zurich. Next spring, a major change in the cantonal government is imminent. She is also the only conservative government cantonal government member standing for re-election.
With Rickli’s withdrawal and the absence of heavyweights like Esther Friedli and Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, other prominent women are no longer in the running. The party’s parliamentary group president Thomas Aeschi and former party president Marco Chiesa are considered possible opponents of parliamentarian Céline Amaudruz of Geneva. Other parliamentarians, as well as Aargau cantonal parliament member Jean-Pierre Gallati, are also considering a candidacy.
It remains to be seen whether Amaudruz will be on the official ticket. The registration deadline expires on Friday.
Autumn is here, but the consequences of the dry summer are still being felt – be it in electricity production or in everyday school life.
The drought in the summer of 2026 is having an impact on Swiss hydropower. Because the Rhine carries significantly less water, the Birsfelden run-of-river power plant in the canton of Basel Country produces around 30% less electricity than in a long-term comparison.
Switzerland’s largest run-of-river power plant supplies around 150,000 households in the greater Basel area. At times, the Rhine carried up to 65% less water than usual. The energy supplier from Bern, BKW Energie AG, also reports significantly below-average electricity production for the first half of the year.
Despite the increasing summer drought, the canton of Basel Country is planning six small run-of-river power plants on the Birs and Ergolz rivers. According to a hydrologist, whether such plants are worthwhile depends on the location and the future water flow.
The consequences of the heat can also be seen at home. My children’s school has cancelled all visits to the forest until at least spring for safety reasons – because of the risk of falling branches. Only then can it be estimated which trees have survived the heat unscathed.
Three soldiers of the Swiss Army are still in hospital after a boat accident.
Three members of the armed forces have had an accident with a training boat during a military exercise on Lake Lucerne near Gersau in canton of Schwyz. All three were injured and were still in hospital on Tuesday.
The accident occurred on Monday at around 7 p.m. Three soldiers from the Genie Recruit School 73, who were on a Ribcraft boat, were affected. One of the injured was flown to Lucerne by the Rega air rescue services. The other two were taken to hospital by ambulance.
It is still unclear how the accident occurred. The military court has launched an investigation.
Translated from German, sub-edited by Anand Chandrasekhar
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