Switzerland today
Greetings from Bern,
Two heated questions are keeping Swiss pub philosophers busy today: was the government right to buy 36 fighter jets from the US rather than from Europe, and will the Swiss football team, still buzzing after beating France on Monday, continue its run at Euro 2020 by beating Spain tomorrow?
In the news One person who’ll be hoping the Swiss can pull off another coup is Luca Loutenbach.
You might not recognise the name, but if you’ve been following the Swiss team at Euro 2020, you’ll recognise his face: Loutenbach is the Swiss superfan whose suffering and ecstasy was seen by millions on Monday during the rollercoaster match against world champions France. As newspaper Blick reportedExternal link this morning, when his facial contortions went viral, various companies said they were interested in using him in their marketing. The Federal Office of Public Health wants to use him as an “Impfluencer” – a vaccination influencer – to encourage more young people to get jabbed. And there’s no time to waste: on Monday the Finnish authorities saidExternal link over 40% of Covid-19 cases recorded in Finland last week were “directly linked” to the Euro 2020 matches in St Petersburg – where Switzerland are playing Spain.
As for the government’s decision to splash CHF5 billion on three dozen F-35A machines built by US firm Lockheed Martin, reaction was divided. Papers in the German-speaking part of the country generally thought the government had made the right call, saying the planes were simply the best out there for that price; however, papers in French-speaking Switzerland reckoned it sent a “disastrous signal” to the EU, just as Switzerland was trying to deescalate tensions with the bloc.
Deep dive How much thought do you give to freedom of speech? Do you take it for granted?
A newsletter by our editor-in-chief provides an overview of all the articles we’ve published on the topic over the past three months.
These include our Freedom of Expression series, in which SWI swissinfo.ch addresses the issues, challenges, opinions and developments around freedom of expression, both in Switzerland and around the world. We provide a platform for citizens to express themselves on the issue, offer analysis by scholars and highlight developments locally and globally. And, naturally, readers are invited to join the conversation and to make their voices heard.
Our featured article today looks at how popular votes promote freedom of expression and the various lessons offered by Switzerland’s experience.
Weigh in How much of a problem is single-use plastic?
From Saturday the EU is banning a range of everyday single-use plastics. That means the 27 member states must keep these items off the EU market. The list includes cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers made of single-use plastic, as well as balloon sticks and cotton buds.
The law doesn’t apply to Switzerland, which isn’t a member of the EU. Should the Swiss adopt a similar ban? As a consumer how easy (or hard) is it for you to avoid single-use plastic products like cups or straws?
What do you think? Let us know!
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