Switzerland Today
Greetings from Zurich!
It could be a long winter in Switzerland. Last week saw dire warnings of a snow shortage in Switzerland. But if temperatures do drop, any household that uses electricity for heating will not be happy as they face an 18% hike in their bills.
Here’s the news of the day.
In the news: bank profits down, ICRC boss resigns and debating politics in school.
- Swiss banks recorded 16.3% lower profits in 2022 than the previous year as low interest rates, stock market blues and the collapse of Credit Suissetook their toll on the industry.
- Left leaning political parties have launched a court appeal against canton Vaud’s decision to ban political debate in schools in the run-up to the general election.
- International Committee for the Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini has decided not to run for re-election, according to media reports.
Importing political unrest
Clashes in Switzerland last weekend between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean regime have given the Swiss authorities a headache.
The Eritrean diaspora in Switzerland, many of them refugees, numbers anything between 32,000 and 40,000. Depending on when they made the journey, they may have been forced out of Eritrea by different regimes.
The political connection to their home country still runs deep among many of the diaspora. Tensions have escalated on the 30th anniversary of the arrival to power of Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki.
At the weekend, clashes broke out between rival groups in Opfikon on the outskirts of Zurich.
My colleague, Geraldine Wong, has examined the issue in greater depth. Other countries, such as Israel, Germany, Sweden and Norway, have experienced similar problems.
In Tel Aviv, the violence was more pronounced, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to threaten the expulsion of Eritrean asylum seekers.
The Swiss authorities are not taking such a hard line, despite suggestions from one politician to strip asylum status from people engaging in violence.
Much of the tension spills over at Eritrean cultural events, leading to cancellations of festivals in cantons Bern and St Gallen.
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