Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

It’s just over three weeks until the next vote day in Switzerland. On June 9, two proposed reforms of the health sector – specifically its cost – will dominate the agenda. Are you planning to vote? Today, we published a run-down of the ideas sent to us by Swiss Abroad readers about how to overhaul one of the world’s most expensive healthcare systems. Read the full article here.

Keystone / Michael Buholzer

In the news: knife attack, Kremlin critique and Swiss social services.

• Six people were injured, two seriously, in a knife attack in the canton Aargau town of Zofingen yesterday afternoon. The assailant, a man around 40, is in hospital with self-inflicted injuries, police said. His motives remain unclear.
• Moscow has repeated its stance that the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland is futile without Russian involvement. Bern said yesterday that over 50 countries had confirmed their attendance at the June 15-16 event. China is yet to respond.
• Swiss social security services have made progress in moving on from the coercive measures of the 20th century, but more needs to be done – particularly around the participation of those affected, a large-scale study said today.

Keystone

Eurovision: the carnival is coming to Switzerland, but where exactly?

In a 1996 episode of the Irish comedy series Father Ted, the two hapless priests decide to write a song for the upcoming “Eurosong” contest (i.e. Eurovision). Despite being one of the worst tunesExternal link in history, fictional or otherwise, My Lovely Horse is chosen as Ireland’s entry – and it royally flops. The show was based on real-life speculation that Ireland had tried to engage in Eurovision self-sabotage; after three victories in a row it was becoming costly to host the event every subsequent year, the rumours went.

Just rumours? The jury is out. But as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) wrote this weekExternal link – after Nemo’s win for Switzerland in Malmö – hosting the event can be “both a blessing and a curse”. In the short-term it means visibility and tourists, a regional development expert told the paper. But if the attention isn’t turned into long-term gains, the event is economically useless, he said. Costs for the Swiss public broadcaster will also stretch well into the millions; at a time when public TV is under pressure to slash costs – especially in the entertainment area – this will also attract criticism, WOZ writesExternal link.

None of this has (yet) stopped cities getting excited. Geneva has expressed interest in hosting. In Zurich, whose Hallenstadion is billed as a possible venue, some hotels are already booked out next May, while others are jacking up prices, the Tages-Anzeiger reports. Meanwhile Nemo’s hometown Biel/Bienne has reiterated its wish to play a role in organising the event, possibly in tandem with Bern; regional authorities in Bern said yesterday they were open to the idea – despite the cantonal president tweeting this week that the Eurovision should “stay away”.

A final call on the venue is expected in September. As for which song will represent Switzerland next time round (and whether it should be a purposely bad one), this will be decided in early 2025.

Keystone / Valentin Flauraud for Saype

Giant fresco in Zurich aims to help Mediterranean struggles.

Saype strikes again: the French-born artist, who has worked often in Switzerland (and on behalf of Switzerland) today unveiled his new creation, a giant girl at the University of Zurich. “Bright dreams”, done with Saype’s signature bio-degradable spray-paint style (see photo), was a collaboration with the SOS Méditerrannée NGO and aims to highlight efforts to save people from drowning at sea. It’s also about spurring people to think of collective answers to questions of migration, Saype said. It will be visible for around a fortnight. See the photos hereExternal link.