Switzerland Today
Greetings from Zurich!
Commuters and holidaymakers in Switzerland face further delays on Gotthard subterranean transport routes following the closure of the road tunnel (the rail tunnel is also severely restricted at the moment).
More on that later, but first here’s the news of the day.
In the news: ICRC job cuts, sparkless energy policy and a brown leaf epidemic.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it will cut a further 270 posts at its Geneva HQ amid budget cuts.
- Switzerland has good intentions with its energy policy, but faces too many delays in getting it rolled out, says the International Atomic Agency.
- Repeated droughts and heat waves are turning the leaves of Swiss trees brownearlier than usual in the year.
Gotthard blocked again
It’s one of the most important transport routes in Switzerland, both for freight between southern and northern Europe and the relentless pilgrimage of holidaymakers heading for canton Ticino. Which is why another Gotthard tunnel issue is causing so much concern.
The Gotthard road tunnel is closed for an indefinite period after a 25-metre crack in the ceiling showered the road with chunks of concrete.
Fortunately, no-one was hurt, but it’s another blowfollowing the rail disruption at the Gotthard Base Tunnel in the last few weeks.
Switzerland is rightly proud of its engineering prowess in creating the tunnel axis, and closures are rare – every few years and only temporary.
The harrowing fire in the road tunnel in 2001 was by far the worst accident, and it has been forced to temporarily shut since then due to boulders falling from mountains onto access roads or environmental protesters.
A train has been wedged in the Gotthard Base Tunnel for a month and services will be restricted for at least the remainder of September, when the train can be removed.
The road closure is a double whammy. The need to renovate the road tunnel was identified in 2008, but work was put off until 2029 to allow time for another road tunnel to be built first.
As yet, it is unclear how serious the cracked ceiling will prove to be – and how long traffic will be forced to climb up the San Bernadino Pass to get to their destinations.
My colleague, Thomas Stephens, explains why the Gotthard tunnel network is of such crucial importance.
Energy impasse
The International Atomic Agency has praised Switzerland’s ambitious energy policy, but is also concerned by how slowly it is rolling out in practice.
Part of the delay is caused by slow planning permission, prompting the government to launch a “Solar Express” drive to speed things up.
This initiative came to a shuddering halt in canton Valais at the weekend when voters rejected a decree designed to streamline the planning process.
My colleague, Simon Bradley, explores what this vote might mean for Switzerland’s energy policy.
Sunday’s vote in Valais is not just another “Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)” expression, but cuts to the core of citizen representation in Switzerland.
While many solar and wind power projects get held up in the courts via environmentalist concerns or locals unhappy with perceived disruptions to their lives, the vote is also a backlash against centralisation of power.
Swiss citizens are used to the system of direct democracy giving them a say in many issues, both national and local.
The Tages Anzeiger newspaper says the vote shows that “the pace is too much for many people from Valais”, while Le Temps proclaims that “there is no miracle solution for speeding up the energy transition”.
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