Switzerland Today
Hello from Switzerland,
Where in the early hours of Thursday, Lucerne’s traditional “Fasnacht” processions got carnival season in the country off to a bright and loud start (see picture above). The party will continue over the weekend, before shifting to the northwestern city of Basel – Switzerland’s biggest carnival – on February 19.
In the news: Swiss daredevil dies, Young Socialists’ climate initiative, and assisted suicide rise.
- Swiss high wire artist Freddy Nock has died at the age of 59, it was confirmed today. Nock, who came from a circus family, achieved several world records with his performances on the high wire, as well as a record 25 hours spent spinning on a so-called wheel of death.
- The Young Socialists handed in 140,000 signatures today for their people’s initiative “for the future”. The proposal calls for a 50% tax on inheritances over an exempt amount of CHF50 million ($57.3 million) to help finance the ecological transformation of the Swiss economy.
- Last year, 1,252 people opted to end their lives using the euthanasia association Exit in German-speaking Switzerland. This is an 11% increase in assisted suicide cases compared to 2022. The euthanasia organisation also has almost 20,000 new members, bringing its total to some 167,631.
Swiss Abroad – pension profiteers or easing the burden on the system?
Right-wing journalist Markus Somm has claimed that, when it comes to the Swiss pension system, the Swiss abroad are “the biggest egoists around.” After SWI looked at the veracity of Somm’s claims – see article here – another journalist has now chimed in against the Swiss Abroad-bashing.
Former Weltwoche writer Alex Baur, who has been living in Lima with his Peruvian wife since 2022, says expats like him “are begrudged the sun, the sea, the lower prices, the supposedly more willing women […] As if it were a sin to spend your hard-earned money where you can get the most for it. Seasoned capitalists are suddenly arguing like socialists.”
Baur argues that the 31.5% of Swiss pensioners who live abroad only receive 13.5% of the total benefits paid out. Their pensions are not even half as high.” As such, he concludes rather ironically: “we should thank them for easing the burden on our system”. Let’s see on March 3 if such considerations impact the votes to overhaul the pension system.
Dialogue – how do Swiss farmer protests compare to elsewhere, and are they justified?
Farmers have been out in force in various European countries over the past weeks, protesting against administrative burdens and rising costs which are putting pressure on their income. Like many things, the phenomenon also came to Switzerland, albeit a little later, and in a slightly more subdued form. However, in the Alpine nation, farmers have also been having their say with small protests in various cities. Are they justified in their gripes and demands? Are farmers across Europe due a better deal? This is the question we put to readers from across Switzerland and the world in this week’s edition of our “dialogue” feature. Have your say here.
Swiss army – struggles with money, success in the kitchen.
The Swiss army’s accountants have been winning no awards over the past few weeks, after media reported that the forces were facing a shortfall of over CHF1 billion ($1.14 billion) in the next two years – apparently due to bad planning. Over in the cooking department however, things are looking up. Today it was announced that the “Swiss Armed Forces Culinary Team”, or SACT, had won first prize in the “Community Catering” section at the prestigious Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart.
The overall competition, not just open to military teams, was won outright by a group of chefs from Finland, with Switzerland a close second – thanks to its preparation of a meal for 120 people consisting of three aperitifs, one starter, two different mains, and a mini-dessert. SACT, which is part of the Swiss Catering Training Centre in Thun, “combines civilian expertise with military requirements at the highest level”, said a Swiss government press releaseExternal link today. If the army’s finance woes continue, it may soon be asked to cook the books.
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