Switzerland Today

Hello Swiss Abroad,

As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henri Guisan, commander-in-chief of the Swiss armed forces during the Second World War and a national hero, his long-lost ceremonial military officer's hat has been found.

The timing is excellent, as an exhibition dedicated to General Guisan has just opened in his hometown of Avenches in canton Vaud.

The tragic death of a Swiss woman in Algeria, the resignation of the head of the old-age and survivors’ pension after a significant miscalculation, and concerns about Switzerland's deteriorating security situation round out today's news.

Enjoy your reading,

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Swiss tourist killed in Algeria

A Swiss tourist was killed in south-east Algeria 11 days ago. Yesterday the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed a report in the French newspaper Libération.

A group of five Swiss tourists were sitting on a café terrace in the town of Djanet when one of them was attacked by a man wielding a bladed weapon. He allegedly slit the Swiss woman’s throat, and she later died in hospital.

According to sources cited by French newspaper Le Figaro, the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” before the attack and was subdued by locals.

Local authorities have described it as an “isolated act by an unbalanced individual”, though Mohamed Hamdaoui, an Algerian-Swiss cantonal representative from Biel/Bienne, has expressed doubts about this explanation.

The Algerian government has yet to comment. The attack comes as the country aims to revive its tourism industry, particularly in Djanet, a prime destination. The Swiss foreign ministry has advised against travel to certain regions, including Djanet, due to the increased risk of kidnapping or terrorism.

• Article in Le TempsExternal link (in French)
• Article in the BlickExternal link (in French)

Keystone / Peter Schneider

Head of Swiss pension scheme resigns after scandal

Stéphane Rossini (pictured), head of the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), has announced his resignation, following a scandal involving incorrect estimates of pension financial forecasts. The Swiss government confirmed his decision today.

Earlier this year, the FSIO admitted that it had severely overestimated pension fund deficits, projecting a CHF7 billion ($8 billion) shortfall by 2030, later revised to CHF3 billion. The issue was flagged in May 2024 when the government was considering additional funding for the old-age pension scheme.

Rossini’s resignation will take effect in June 2025.

• Article by Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)External link (in German)
• Latest from Swiss public television, RTSExternal link (in French)
• Swiss government press releaseExternal link (available in French, German and Italian)

Keystone-SDA

Swiss intelligence report warns of increased global instability

“Switzerland is considerably less secure than it was just a few years ago,” warns the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) in its latest report, citing a major decline in global stability.

The report highlights growing military cooperation among autocratic regimes in Russia, Iran, North Korea and China, aiming to reduce US influence. Europe’s security, heavily reliant on the United States could be jeopardised.

In addition to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, there are fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Iran. The terrorist threat has also risen since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

Despite the deteriorating security landscape, the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service conducted fewer authorised operations this year and is requesting 150 additional staff to strengthen its capabilities.

• The Tages-AnzeigerExternal link article (in German)

Swiss National History Museum

General Guisan’s stolen officer’s hat recovered

The stolen ceremonial military officer’s hat of General Henri Guisan (Guisan and hat pictured above), Swiss commander-in-chief during the Second World War, has been recovered after disappearing in 2018.

The hat was taken while Avenches’ town hall, where it was kept, was being renovated. It resurfaced on an auction site in 2023 before changing hands multiple times. Finally, local authorities tracked down the current owner in rural Zurich and negotiated its return.

A specialist noted that part of the hat had been altered, and the town is now attempting to recover the missing portion. It remains to be seen whether Avenches will restore the item or leave the modification as part of its history.

• The Swiss National Museum’sExternal link article on General Guisan’s 150th birthday

Keystone / Anthony Anex

Picture of the day

The new “Rendez-vous Bundesplatz” show, entitled Volare, has been lighting up the Swiss parliament with new images.

To appropriate music, owls, kingfishers, lammergeiers and cranes twirl, dive or nest on the building’s façade.

For the past 14 years, between the end of October and the end of November, the light projections have been delighting young and old alike, every day of the week.