Switzerland Today

Hello from Bern,

Here are the latest news and stories making the rounds here in Switzerland today.

© Keystone / Christian Beutler

In the News: The Swiss spend a lot on organic eggs and cheese; and what to do about all that food waste.

• The organic market in Switzerland experienced slower growth in 2021 than in 2020. One main reason is that people went out to eat more than during the first year of the pandemic. Despite slower growth, consumers are spending more money on organic products. The Swiss dished out CHF4 billion for organic products in 2021, which is CHF459 per person per year. Organic eggs are the most popular of all organic products but organic dairy products are the big winners when it comes to total spend.
• More than 282 foreign companies set up operations in Switzerland last year. That’s more than in both 2020 and 2019. These 282 companiesExternal link, most of which are in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, created more than 1,300 jobs in Switzerland in their first year of operation. While this should help assuage some worries over Switzerland’s attractiveness as a business location, the number is still a far cry from the 379 companies and 2,431 jobs attracted in 2010.
• The Swiss environment ministry announced a plan to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 compared with 2017 levels. This includes extending the shelf life of products, improving packaging as well as better planning of cultivations and increasing food donations to welfare organisations. Nearly a third of food produced for consumers goes to waste in Switzerland, which has both economic and environmental consequences.

Keystone / Oleg Petrasyuk

Is Switzerland taking the easy way out on sanctions?

Members of the Socialist Party have filed a complaint against the economics ministry for, what it calls, a slow and inconsistent application of sanctions. According to the complaint some cantons are still waiting for their orders on how to implement the sanctions and only a few properties owned by Russian oligarchs have been seized. In the statement, the party wrote that “such passivity is totally unacceptable given the urgency of the moment”.

This has sparked a range of commentary and opinions about whether and if so, why, Switzerland is dragging its feet. Is this just a practical bottleneck in the notoriously complex federalist system in the country? Or is this an intentional move to ease the pain of sanctions on the Swiss economy? Or was this also intended to give sanctioned individuals time to circumvent sanctions? All theories appear to be on the table.

One former parliamentarianExternal link interviewed by the French-language paper Le Temps said that Switzerland’s approach to applying sanctions has been hesitant and unprofessional. “We don’t even know who is responsible for enforcing the sanctions. Within the administration in general, the coordination is pathetic, truly pathetic,” he said.

When it comes to the financial sector, he adds that “Switzerland has always done as much as necessary and as little as possible…We’ve always had a culture of welcoming oligarchs. If you are not a refugee, but a rich foreigner, you quickly receive a residence permit in Switzerland.”

The criticism comes as more reports emerge about companies such as this oneExternal link slipping through the cracks in Swiss sanctions, and other countries talk about another round of tougher sanctions against Russia. Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told the Tages-Anzeiger today that if the EU adopts further sanctionsExternal link, Switzerland will follow.

© Keystone / Urs Flueeler

A ski ticket for CHF200 a day? The Swiss say: no way

After a rocky pandemic ski season in 2020/2021 (although much better than many other ski resorts in Europe), ski resorts in Switzerland have plenty to celebrateExternal link. According to figures published by the Swiss Cable Car Association today, there was a 32% increase in first-time visits to ski resorts and a 39% increase in turnover compared to the previous year. 

The results weren’t just stellar compared to the underwhelming pandemic year. Compared to the five-year average, the most recent season represented an increase of 15% and 19% respectively. The easing of pandemic restrictions wasn’t the only thing that helped buoy the ski industry. The nice weather also did it some favours.

This wasn’t the only ski news making the Swiss press today. There are rumblings over the recently announced sale of the Andermatt ski area to the US company Vail Resorts. Swiss public television SRF reported today on a petition filed in the US against the company over the company’s treatment of employees and high priced ski passes, reaching $200 in some areas.  

This naturally has some Swiss concerned that skiing could become less accessible to the average Swiss. The Andermatt tourism director and Andermatt Swiss Alps (which will still have a 40% share in the ski resort) brushed off the concerns though saying that Switzerland is not America.External link