
Switzerland Today
Greetings from Zurich!
The government has raised the spectre of fines for people who refuse to turn down their heating in the event of an energy emergency. Gas quotas are also foreseen under new emergency legislation. But first, the other news of the day.

In the news: Swiss reaction to Poland missile strike, Croatian job quotas and more job losses.
- Swiss President Ignazio Cassis says he is “very concerned” by fresh Russian bombardments against Ukrainian civilian and energy targets. A missile that exploded in Poland, killing two people, is thought to have been fired by Ukraine trying to shoot down a Russian projectile.
- Switzerland has decided to curtail numbers of people arriving from Croatia by invoking a ‘safeguard clause’ for 2023. The Balkan state was granted access to the Swiss job market less than a year ago, but the move has proved too popular, with a sharp increase in arrivals since January 1.
- The world’s largest goods inspection and testing group SGS will shed 1,500 jobs worldwide in a cost saving drive. The Geneva- based company said rising interest rates and the Ukraine war have dampened business prospects.

Fines and quotas possible during energy crunch
It seems a surreal prospect in the land of direct democracy, but people could be facing prosecution and fines if they refuse to turn down their heating.
This a one extreme measure outlined in government plans to deal with any energy crisis this winter. Should gas supplies reach critical levels, gas-heated households could be ordered to restrict heating to no more than 20 degrees Celsius. Extreme cases of disobedience to this directive could be punished, according to a draft ordinance.
People would also be banned from heating unused rooms, swimming pools, steam baths and saunas. But some details of the emergency plan have yet to be finalised.
The emergency plan also envisages gas quotas if supplies start to run dry.
However, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin was swift to say that the chances of an emergency energy crunch are slim. “We’re ready for anything,” he told reporters.
He added that there would be no ‘gas police’ running around every house with thermometers, but random spot checks of peoperties could be possible.

Forced marriage scandal in Swiss capital
A mosque in Bern has been accused of allowing forced marriages of womenagainst their will. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the mosque is housed in a centre that opened in 2014 to promote understanding between different faiths. The House of Religions also receives an annual CHF300,000 stipend from the Bern authorities.
Some 350 women contact Swiss social services every year because they have been coerced into arranged marriages. The actual number of forced marriages, mainly among people who have fled war-torn countries, is suspected to be much higher.
One woman told SRF Investigativ her story under the assumed name of Laura. She was summoned to the Bern mosque by her father and asked to bring two photographs of herself. When she arrived, Laura realized she was to be married to a man who had been chosen by her family. Laura’s mother and father ignored her protests and now she is in protective police custody.
The House of Religions and the Bern Muslim Society told SRF that they are “stunned” and “outraged” that this has been allowed to happen in the Swiss capital.
The Imam of the mosque who performs ceremonies is suspected of paying scant regard to making sure marriages comply with Swiss laws.

A very un-Swiss political affair
Pierre Maudet was once a poster child of the political scene in Suisse Romande. Young, confident and communicative, he was rising up Geneva’s political ladder and made no secret of his ambition to become a federal cabinet minister.
But a trip to Abu Dhabi in 2015 halted his seemingly inevitable progress.
Maudet was accused of accepting flights and accommodations for himself, his family, and his chief of staff, worth around CHF50,000 from the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, who had invited the politician to watch a Formula 1 race.
The case has been yo-yoing through various Swiss courts. In 2021, Maudet was found guilty of accepting undue financial advantages, but the conviction was overturned in January. Today, the Supreme Court overturned this acquittal and Maudet is back in hot water.
At the very least, this is bound to scupper his bid to re-enter politics as an independent under the ticket of “Freedom and Social Justice”.
More

In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative