Switzerland Today
Greetings from Zurich! Today’s newsletter is a treat for transport buffs. Read on to discover which Federal Councillor clocked the most air miles last year – plus, a charming tidbit of Postbus history that will stir up wonderful memories of your days living in Switzerland.
But first, we bring you a round-up of the day’s most important news items.
In the news: more Catholic Church victims emerge, clearing landmines in Ukraine and mental health issues.
- Parliament has instructed the government to form a concrete landmine clearance plan in war zones across the world.
- Months after a report accusing the Catholic Church of widespread abuse, more people have come forward as alleged victims.
- A quarter of Swiss say they are suffering from mental health problems, according to an insurance group survey.
- The Swiss Press Council has urged the media to exercise caution when adopting artificial intelligence tools.
High-flying ministers
If there’s one phobia a Federal Councillor could do without, it’s a fear of flying.
The newspaper 20 Minuten has been poring over the flight logsExternal link and manifests of government flights, produced each year by the federal air transport service.
Unsurprisingly, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis clocked up the most air miles in 2023, taking 68 flights on government jets – plus nine helicopter flights.
20 Minuten tells us that the gossips in the federal palace like to joke that Cassis commutes from his home in Ticino to Bern by jet.
Reporters contacted the foreign ministry and were assured that Cassis doesn’t use the official work plane to go on holiday.
Former Interior Minister Alain Berset was proclaimed King of the Helicopter last year after taking 43 such flights – far more than any of his colleagues.
Berset’s successor at the interior ministry, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, scored a home run in the newspaper report.
“For domestic travel, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider takes public transport whenever possible,” her ministry said.
Having said that, Baume-Schneider did manage 30 jet flights last year whilst she was Justice Minister, placing her third on the list of high-flying ministers.
Dü-Da-Do
I’ll leave you with a lovely snippet of nostalgia that might have many of you longing to return home to Switzerland.
The famous Dü-Da-Do Postbus horn blast was first heard on winding alpine roads 100 years’ ago.
Blick informs usExternal link that the distinctive warning sound was introduced to spare buses from an increasing frequency of dents and scuffs.
The distinctive three note blast was taken from the “William Tell” opera composed by Gioachino Rossini.
Today, some 700 Postbus vehicles still proudly sport the horn that issues the crowd-pleasing tone.
Leaving nothing to chance, the horns are regularly re-tuned to ensure they never fluff a note.
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