Switzerland Today

Hello from Bern!

The Swiss economy took a hit in 2020, but after two years of big Covid-19 expenditures, the country still expects a “return to normal” by 2022. When it comes to international relations, the government has some thoughts on how to limit “damaging” foreign takeovers and a new report paints a not-so-reassuring picture for future relations with the EU. And in other news...mountaintop bubbles!

Keystone / Valentin Flauraud

In the News – Graffiti artist lightens the mood, Pilatus planes in Afghanistan and Sharon Stone

• The Swiss graffiti artist Saype is at it again. This time with a massive painting of a little boy blowing bubbles on the summit of the Moléson in Gruyères. “I think we’re in a world that is super heavy and we need a little lightness, and I believe that the clouds are also a bit of a dream, the imagination,” he said. The fresco can be admired from the summit of the Moléson from today to mid-September.
• Thinktank Avenir Suisse published its latest Erosion MonitorExternal link on the status of the bilateral relationship between Switzerland and the EU. This is the first such report since talks on a framework agreement ended this past May. Cooperation is starting to erode, which could have bigger consequences for the country as a business location if the federal government doesn’t come up with a clear strategy, suggests a commentaryExternal link in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
• As the US plans a major withdrawal from Afghanistan, there are concerns about the fate of Swiss Pilatus planes that the Americans gave to the Afghan army. Switzerland prohibits the export of war material to conflict countries but after some backstory that you can read on the French version of our site, the Afghan forces received several Pilatus planes. With the US and other international forces withdrawing, some experts wonder if the planes could end up in the wrong hands for the wrong purposes.
• It’s about to get more expensive to send letters from Switzerland to family and friends abroad, but at least there are some fun motifsExternal link to choose from for your postage stamps. The Swiss postal service announced that it was raising the price of stamps for letters for the first time in 18 years. The reason is higher wages and more letterboxes, putting more pressure on postal service workers.
• The 17th Zurich Film FestivalExternal link announced today that it will honour American actress Sharon StoneExternal link with the Golden Icon Award, its highest accolade. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Stone is expected to come to Zurich at the end of September where she will hold a master class on her creative process.

© Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Swiss try to stem the tide of foreign takeovers

A story making waves here in Switzerland involves some initial ideas put forward by the government to intervene in foreign takeovers of Swiss firms that it believes could “endanger public order” or “distort competition”.

The impetus for the decision is the growing number of Chinese takeovers of Swiss companies such as agribusiness company Syngenta which is now in the hands of ChemChina. Other strategic industries such as mechanical engineering have also been targets of Chinese investors.

But the Swiss government knows it walks a fine line on the topic. As Swiss public television SRF notes, an open investment policyExternal link is very important in Switzerland. At the same time, there is concern that Swiss know-how will leave the country. There are also concerns about how acquisitions, especially those that involve Chinese companies, could complicate foreign policy. 

The government has only outlined in broad brush the possible investment controls as a response to a parliamentary motion. One of the most difficult things still to sort out, as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung points out, is how to separate the “good guys” from the “bad guys” when it comes to foreign firms.

Christian Beutler/Keystone

Celebrating bodily encounters in architecture

In culture news, the Salon Suisse is back at the International Architecture Exhibition (Biennale Architettura) in Venice. This year’s theme, Bodily Encounters, is fitting after more than a year of social distancing. The Salon’s curator Evelyn Steiner explains why there is so much more to learn and explore when it comes to the human body’s relationship to architecture.

One of our readers on Twitter mentioned how the human body was the source of inspiration for Hindu temples. Steiner brings this to the modern day in talking about how artificial intelligence and medical interventions are changing our dialogue with the built world.