Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
If you plan to travel by train or plane to France, Britain, Germany or other countries in Europe, keep a close eye on ongoing strike-related disruptions and cancelations.
Germany is the latest. Airports in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Cologne Bonn were today almost empty in the first day of an aviation security workers strike. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to be affected. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) cancelled several flights. A strike by employees of German railway companies tomorrow morning may disrupt train traffic too.
Continuing strikes in Europe threaten to keep travel disruptions going through the summer.
Read about other news and stories from Switzerland below.
In the news: FC Basel, Wagner Group sanctions, Credit Suisse and Italian tax blacklist.
- French authorities have banned FC Basel fans from the second leg of the Europa Conference League quarterfinals in Nice this evening to avoid clashes between rival supporters. FC Basel and fan groups tried to appeal against what they see as an “arbitrary” decision.
- The Swissgovernment has again expanded its list of sanctions against Russia, this time to include the paramilitary Wagner Group and the news agency RIA FAN.
- Switzerland’shighestcourt has upheld a decision by the Office of the Attorney General to refuse to release a portion of funds frozen in a Swiss account belonging to Lebanese Central Bank governor Riad Salameh. He was charged with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment in Lebanon in February and has been the focus of an ongoing Swiss investigation since October 2020.
- The Swiss drankExternal link less wine last year compared with 2021; but a higher proportion (37%) of what they consumed was made in Switzerland.
- Italy has removedSwitzerland from a “blacklist” on which it has figured since 1999. This follows the signing of a declaration to “remove an administrative hurdle to tax relations between the two countries”, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance said. In 1999 Italy named Switzerland a tax haven in an effort to clamp down on wealthy Italians declaring fake residences in the Alpine nation to escape tax.
- Switzerland and the UK want to strengthen cooperation on Europeansecurity in areas such as military training and the technology sector. Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd and UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace signedExternal link a declaration of intent in London today.
Swiss embassy officially opened in the Vatican
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has officially opened the new Swiss embassy to the Holy See in the Vatican. Since 2014, Swiss diplomatic links with the Vatican had been conducted through the Swiss ambassador in Slovenia.
Cassis attended a ceremony at the new Vatican embassy in May 2022 when the Swiss premises were presented to the public to mark the start of renovations. But the representation is now fully operational, and the official opening took place yesterday.
The embassy, which will also deal with relations with Malta and San Marino, serves to “maximise the potential for bilateral and international cooperation in key areas for Switzerland’s foreign policy and to respond to an increase in diplomatic activities in recent years”, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statementExternal link.
The Vatican’s diplomatic network now extends to more than 90 countries. In a speech, Cassis highlighted the ties uniting Switzerland and the Vatican: Italian language, common culture and Christian values. Switzerland is also connected to the Vatican by the Papal Swiss Guard, founded by Pope Julius II in 1506, who are responsible for the security of the Pope and perform honorary services.
The opening of the Swiss embassy was one of a number of official duties and meetings during Cassis’s three-day visit to Rome, which began yesterday. He held talks with officials of the Holy See and the Italian government, including his counterpart, Antonio Tajani, and economy and finance minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti.
Switzerland studies evacuation of citizens from Sudan
The foreign ministry in Bern is reportedly working on plans to evacuate around 100 Swiss nationals from Sudan, which has been rocked by fierce battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). For security reasons, no details can be communicated, Swiss public television, RTS, reported yesterday.
Since the start of the fighting last weekend, the Swiss foreign ministry has set up a crisis unit. The Swissembassy in the capital Khartoum can offer emergency support to people in the country, where possible, but remains closed for visits and visa applications.
The foreign ministry “constantly examines the options and the measures which can be taken on the basis of different scenarios”, said an official in Bern. Its services are in contact with third countries and could participate in the rescue measures of other states.
Residents of Sudan’s capital reported renewed heavygunfire today as thousands tried to flee fighting that has killed scores of civilians, before the Eid holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Khartoum and its sister cities Omdurman and Bahri, one of Africa’s most populous urban areas, have been rocked by battles this week between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Locals and thousands of foreigners are stranded and food supplies have run short.
“There’s no food, supermarkets are empty, the situation isn’t safe, honestly, so people are leaving,” said Khartoum resident who gave only his first name, Abdelmalek. Hospitals reported bodies lying unburied and bullets crashing through windows. Residents said prices for the remaining fresh food have risen sharply.
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