Switzerland Today

Hello from Bern,

Black Friday or Fair Friday, thank gosh it’s Friday. Swiss retailers started to promote the super-deals shopping “holiday” a few years ago, but this year the big question is how much shopping people will be doing given inflation, stock market turmoil, and general malaise about the economic situation.

One group that has plenty of extra change (but unlikely to be looking for Black Friday deals) is the super-rich, which according to this year’s ranking of the 300 richest people in Switzerland own more than CHF890 billion.

Keystone / Christian Beutler

In the news: the super-rich, drone regulation, and medicine shortages.

• The 300 richest people in Switzerland saw their cumulative wealth drop for the first time in 13 years by a mere by 0.1%. But they still have enough money to distribute CHF100 ($105) to each person on the planet. The Kamprad brothers, heirs to the Swedish furniture firm IKEA, maintain their position on the top of the annual ranking of the 300 richest in Switzerland compiled by finance magazine Bilanz.
• Switzerland will adopt European Union regulation on the manufacture and flying of drones from the start of next year. This includes rules on maximum altitudes, weight limitations and restrictions on the airspace in which drones can fly.
• Switzerland is facing shortages of many medicines due to supply chain bottlenecks linked to Covid lockdowns in China and the Ukraine war. The biggest problem appears to be children’s medications, especially fever-reducing syrup, as well as blood pressure medications, psychiatric medications and Parkinson’s medications.

Keystone / Eddy Risch

The Diocese in Chur has decided to stop offering exorcisms, opting for “normal solutions” such as blessings and medical help.

It was once called the “exorcism mecca” by religion expert Georg Schmid. In the German-speaking world, Chur was once a place of pilgrimage for people looking for exorcisms. But the new bishop Joseph Maria Bonnemain has decided it’s time for a change.

The last exorcist of Chur died in 2020 and Bonnemain, will not advertise for a replacement. “We don’t have to look for unusual causes for most problems,” he told Swiss public television, SRF.

“In most cases, people are simply suffering mental or psychological stress. They need support, prayers, a blessing or other appropriate services – but not necessarily a major exorcism,” added Bishop Bonnemain, who is also a qualified doctor.

Bonnemain was appointed by Pope Francis last year with a mandate of solving ongoing disputes between conservative and liberal Catholics in the diocese. For years, Chur attracted people from neighbouring countries because it was one of the few places in the wider region that performed exorcisms.

Basel is now the only Catholic diocese in German-speaking Switzerland that continues to perform exorcisms – which it refers to as ‘liberations’.

© Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

As the fight for the open seats on the Federal Council heats up, there’s fresh criticism of politicians’ “side jobs”.

There are many things that make Switzerland unique. One of them is the system whereby politicians work in “normal” jobs alongside their political duties. While we can admire them for their impressive multi-tasking, there are times that this gets a little messy.

This is the case of Albert Rösti, a Bernese politician from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party who is running to succeed Ueli Maurer on the Federal Council. Yesterday, 20 Swiss scientists and public figures published a letterExternal link warning that a vote for Rösti would derail Switzerland’s progress on addressing climate change.

They are particularly concerned that Rösti has been working as a consultant/lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry while he’s been a politician. According to this articleExternal link in the Tages-Anzeiger from a couple weeks ago, Rösti has had mandates with Swissoil as well as the auto industry association over the years.

Today, in an interviewExternal link in Le Temps, Rösti pushed back against allegations that he would continue to lobby for the fossil fuel industry if he were elected. “I would of course resign from all my mandates,” he said. He added that he is convinced Switzerland must get out of fossil fuels but it’s a mistake to do so before there is a viable alternative.

While this may be true, Rösti’s candidacy is a reminder of the many hats Swiss politicians wear.