Switzerland Today
Hello from Bern,
Here’s an update of news and stories – serious and less so – from Switzerland.
In the news: poll finds backing for Frontex, organ donation reform, and “Netflix law”.
- The first Gfs Bern poll ahead of the upcoming Swiss votes on May 15 shows strong initial support for the government’s line on the three issues. Some 63% of those polled support a boost in Swiss funding to Frontex, the European border patrol body; the same amount back a proposal to make organ donation consent presumed rather than explicit. A law to make online streaming platforms like Netflix invest up to 4% of their Swiss revenue in local film projects has 59% support.
- At an international donor conference for Afghanistan, held in Geneva, Switzerland pledged CHF30 million in aid to the struggling country. Total donations amounted to $2.44 billion. The UN estimates that 62% of the Afghan population (more than 24 million people, including 13 million children) are dependent on emergency aid. Nine million face famine and some families are selling children and organs to survive, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in Geneva.
Did you know? April Fool’s Day has a controversial history in Switzerland.
The marking of April 1, or April Fool’s Day, was only decriminalised in Switzerland in 1998, after being illegal for over a century. In 1877, the Federal Council, worried about the impact of ironic pranks on the mental health of its straight-laced population, introduced a bill outlawing the day; those found guilty faced fines of up to CHF1.50 (per joke). At one point authorities even considered scrapping April 1 completely, and starting the month on April 2, but a legal review found this to be incompatible with Swiss neutrality. After parliament voted in 1998 to decriminalise the day (by a slim majority of six votes) minister for culture Ruth Dreifuss said it was “a historic moment for fools in Switzerland, and indeed the world”. Opposition persists however, and a citizen committee is reportedly planning a people’s initiative to ban April 1 once again.
Coronavirus taskforce disbands, but is set to hit the big screen.
The Swiss National Covid-19 Science TaskforceExternal link, which has advised government policy on the pandemic for the past two years, was officially disbanded today, along with the lifting of all remaining public restrictions to tackle the virus. But the taskforce, which often came under fire for its alarmingly scientific views, might not be at the end of its lifespan just yet. US company Marvel, which has produced various superhero blockbusters including “The Avengers” and the “Spider-Man” series, is now considering making a film about the Swiss academic celebrities, the 21 Minuten newspaper reports.
“Taskforce: Destination Immunity” will follow the adventures of the brainy superheroes as they run around Switzerland fighting all kinds of infectious diseases, from common colds to conspiracy beliefs. The film will be based on a lightly fictionalised version of the real taskforce, but will see each team member given a special power: Martin Ackermann will have medical syringes for fingers, and Samia Hurst can instantly cure hypochondriac anxieties through eye contact and blinking. Taskforce leader Tanja Stadler (her super-power is to predict future scenarios which are precisely 2.37 times worse than what actually happens) confirmed to 21 Minuten that she has been approached by Marvel. “But first I have to reply to Warner Bros,” Stadler said.
Bad weather means a nervous weekend ahead for fruit farmers.
A week ago, it was 19°C and sunny in Bern. Today, it’s 1°C and snowing. While this is bad news for weekend strollers, it’s worse for those whose livelihood depends on stable seasons. “The forecast would give you stomach trouble,” fruit farming expert Hagen Thoss told the NZZExternal link this week. “When temperatures dip towards 0° [i.e. the forecast for tonight] the situation becomes critical.” Frost in April isn’t unheard of, the newspaper writes, but the problem is that warmer weather earlier in the year means trees are blossoming sooner, and then sudden cold snaps can cause havoc with the still-sensitive buds. Last year in canton Valais, 70% of the apricot harvest was lost. Apart from praying to God for intervention, and to authorities for compensation, farmers are turning to protective coverings and anti-frost candles (see photo).
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