Switzerland Today
Hello from Bern, where government ministers today were busy announcing good news for some (a new Monkeypox vaccine) and bad news for almost all (possible gas shortages this winter). All the updates from Switzerland on Wednesday.
In the news – gas, vaccines, and fighter jets.
- The government wants to reduce gas consumption by 15% this winter, in line with similar targets at the EU level, it said today. It also publishedExternal link a sketch of its plan to face possible shortages: the first step would be to encourage households to cut down; the second would force dual-use power plants to shift from gas to oil; the third would target public buildings and sports facilities; a final scenario would involve rationing.
- The government also said today that it plans to procure 100,000 doses of vaccine against the Monkeypox virus. The disease has infected over 400 people so far in Switzerland, with the most impacted group being homosexual men. The past weeks have seen increasingly loud calls by the gay community for authorities to move forward on a vaccination plan.
- Ministers saidExternal link a public vote on a multi-billion dollar purchase of new F-35 fighter jets for the army would not be possible before the contract with Lockheed-Martin runs out next March. Last week, campaigners handed in 100,000 signatures to force a vote on the jet procurement; this now looks likely to have been a vain exercise. The funding for the jets was already approved in a public vote in 2020.
Ukraine: peace please, but by which means?
Exactly six months ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, as most Swiss newspapers told us this morning. But while they were clear about what their front page story should be, less clear is what’s next for this “military stalemate” (Tages-Anzeiger). Le Temps at least is confident about the failure of Russia to morally “conquer the hearts” of Ukrainians, even if the conflict remains just one misstep away from “opening the gates of hell”. The NZZ is also upbeat about the “unbroken resistance” of Ukrainian morale, while its editorial leads with the idea that Putin has “destroyed all trust”. However, the paper currently sees no other option aside from continued fighting.
SWI swissinfo.ch’s main story today is about similar head-scratching – among peace organisations. Six months into the conflict, rainbow flags still flutter on the balconies of Bern, but associations claiming to embody peace are split about how to achieve it, Ümit Yoker writes. The “Swiss Peace Movement” even claims that sanctions against Moscow are the wrong approach, since they damage neutrality and mostly impact poorer Russians. The biggest pacificist group in the country, the Group for a Switzerland without an Army, is also in a tricky situation: support the sending of weapons to defend democracy in Ukraine, or stick to the traditional goal of demilitarisation?
Swiss Guard: Protest(ant)s in Catholic Lucerne.
Among the list of national and cantonal ballots on September 25 next, one in particular could have repercussions far beyond Switzerland’s borders. Voters in Lucerne will decide on a funding package of CHF400,000 ($414,000) which the cantonal government wants to contribute to the renovation of the Swiss Guard barracks in the Vatican. The funding (reportsExternal linkLe Courrier today) is part of an overall package of 45 million that has seen contributions by the national government, cities, private donors, and various other (Catholic) cantons. Supporters see the Swiss Guards generally as a boon for Switzerland’s reputation; opponents in Lucerne see the renovation as a waste of money and an “insult” to people with more meagre budgets.
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