Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The “glass-ceiling index” measures the role and influence of women in the workforce across mostly rich countries. It’s produced every year by The Economist.
The Nordics - Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway - topped the 2023 index as the best places for working women. Japan and South Korea came bottom.
What about Switzerland? A lowly 26th place out of 29. It scores badly for expensive childcare, low paid leave for mothers, low higher education attainment and wide gender pay gap.
In the news: fragrance cartel probe, tanks, earthquake risks and Gazprombank trial.
- Swiss fragrance and flavour maker Givaudan (photo above) confirmed today that it was being investigated by European Union and Swiss antitrust authorities. The Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) named Givaudan, Firmenich and two other companiessuspected of being involved in the fragrances cartel probe.
- Swiss President Alain Berset has expressed scepticism about requests from Germany and the Czech Republic to Switzerland to buy back old Leopard 2 tanks to replace tanks used by EU and NATO members in Ukraine.
- The cities of Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Lucerne and Bern are at the highest risk of earthquakes in Switzerland, according to the first-ever national seismic risk model launched by the Swiss Seismological Service.
- The Swiss parliament has approved a government proposal to increase a credit for global environmental measures.
- Strikes in France against the government’s planned pension reforms has brought traffic on the French part of Rhine River to a standstill around Strasbourg and Marckolseim. This affects onward traffic to German ports such as Breisach or Weil am Rhein and Basel in Switzerland.
Swiss politicians and trade unions mark International Women’s Day.
Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world to commemorate and honour women’s accomplishments, raise awareness about discrimination, and promote support for women.
Today, senior Swiss politicians, including cabinet ministers, and trade unions have been discussing women’s issues. Swiss President Alain Berset called for increased efforts to boost equal rights and prevent violence against women.
“Inflation, war, domestic violence: women are always the first to feel the impact of crises. We must act and ensure greater equality – not only today on International Women’s Day, but every day,” he said in a tweet. “The solutions are known.”
Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd declared: “Much has been achieved, some remains to be done – let’s keep at it!”
For her part, Justice Minister ElisabethBaume–Schneider (main photo) recalled certain achievements such as the #MeToo movement or coming to terms with abuse in the church.
Female parliamentarians highlighted recent achievements, notably a reform to prevent sexual offences and protect rape victims, while others deplored that the percentage of women in the Senate is below 30%.
Swiss trade unions have meanwhile urged women to take to the streets in several Swiss cities to demand political support for their cause. They are demanding “respect, more pay and more time”.
Swiss public TV, SRF, has an articleExternal link highlighting eight pioneering women who shaped Swiss history.
Putin’s cellist friend moved millions through Swiss bank accounts, say prosecutors.
A concert cellist linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin moved millions of Swiss francs through Swiss bank accounts without any proper checks, Swiss prosecutors said today at the start of a high-profile trial of four bankers in Zurich accused of helping him.
Four employees of the Russian Gazprombank in Switzerland appeared in court, accused of lacking diligence in financialtransactions.
The prosecution allegesExternal link that Sergey Roldugin (photo above left with Putin), a close friend of the Russian president, deposited millions of francs in Swiss bank accounts between 2014 and 2016.
The four defendants – three Russians who worked in Zurich and one Swiss – all deny the allegations against them at the hearing.
The prosecution told the court they failed to do enough to determine the identity of the beneficial owner of the funds. Sums of around CHF30 million ($31.84 million) were involved in the case, said the public prosecutor. Roldugin was named the owner of two accounts opened at Gazprombank Switzerland in 2014.
This was despite Roldugin who appears on Switzerland’s list of sanctioned Russians – having no listed activity as a businessman on his bank documents. At the time, the musician told the New York Times that he was certainly not a businessman and did not himself own millions, according to the indictment.
Roldugin was among scores of members of Putin’s inner circle sanctioned by the West, including Switzerland, after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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