Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Switzerland is not improving in its fight against corruption, according to the Transparency International. Although it was ranked fifth in 2024 out of 180 countries, it dropped one point to its lowest ever score in the NGO's Corruption Perceptions Index.

In yesterday's press briefing, my colleague Alexandra Andrist wrote that tariff issues in the United States were likely to go on. She was right; I will discuss the issue again today.

Today's selection will also look at the two candidates competing for a place on the Federal Council who are struggling to convince the Swiss public. There's also news on a legal complaint against the sports shoe manufacturer On.

Enjoy the read!

Keystone / Ti-Press / Gabriele Putzu

Switzerland has dropped one point in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published on Tuesday by Transparency International.

Between 2023 and 2024, Switzerland slipped from 82 to 81 points out of 100, its lowest score ever. Transparency International highlighted shortcomings in combating money laundering, corruption in the private sector, corporate criminal prosecution and whistleblower protection.

In its press release, the NGO stressed the need for urgent measures to manage conflicts of interest at all federal levels and to regulate lobbying. What’s more, Switzerland remains an attractive destination and transit country for illicit financial flows. Swiss companies are reported to have a high appetite for risk and operate in high-risk markets.

Denmark topped this year’s CPI ranking. Transparency International said more than two-thirds of the countries examined failed to reach the 50-point mark. Corruption got worse in 47 countries between 2012 and 2024, while only 32 saw improvements.

• Read the report analysis by Le TempsExternal link (in French)

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

The two candidates vying to replace Defence Minister Viola Amherd (pictured above) are not popular with the Swiss public, according to a survey by the Tamedia press group.

The Swiss people have spoken: only 18% of those surveyed would like Markus Ritter, current president of the Swiss Farmers’ Union, to succeed Amherd. The other candidate, Zug senator Martin Pfister, is only slightly more popular: at 20%. What’s clear, however, is that 36% of respondents would like a different candidate for the Federal Council.

Although public opinion holds little sway – Federal Council members are elected by parliament rather than the public – the poll reflects the electoral base’s preferences, according to 24 heures.

Markus Ritter is particularly popular among Swiss People’s Party supporters, but he scores poorly on the left, especially among Green Party supporters. Martin Pfister, who is relatively unknown among political circles in Bern, benefits from his relative anonymity. His experience managing the Covid crisis in Zug and his extensive local government experience are seen as reassuring factors.

Meanwhile, Christoph Blocher, a former Swiss government minister, views the lack of public support for Centre Party candidates as an opportunity to return to the political stage. He argues that parliament should not limit itself to the Centre Party’s nominees. In his view, the time has come to elect a competent individual to sort out the defence ministry’s ‘dysfunctions’ as quickly as possible – potentially himself.

• The Tages-Anzeiger’sExternal link analysis of the poll (in German)
• 24 heures’External link analysis of the poll (in French)
• The Tages-Anzeiger’sExternal link summary of Christoph Blocher’s interview (in German)

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

The consumer affairs bureau of French-speaking Switzerland has filed a legal complaint against On, the sports equipment brand, accusing it of greenwashing. Roger Federer is a shareholder.

Since 2022, On has marketed and advertised a sports shoe that is “100% recyclable, ad infinitum”. However, in June 2024, Swiss public broadcaster, RTS, revealed that Cloudneo trainers had not yet been recycled, despite the sale of tens of thousands of pairs.

The consumer affairs bureau claims the brand’s advertising “has all the hallmarks of greenwashing”. It therefore decided to file a complaint after discussions with On “resulted only in minor changes to their website”.

On refutes the allegations, stating that it launched an initial recycling round of approximately 1,000 shoes in August 2024. It said: “More than 90% of each Cloudneo shoe is recycled into the components of new On shoes. The small remainder is recycled by partners and reused in various consumer and industrial products. None of the Cyclon products returned to On were landfilled.”

The consumer affairs bureau’s complaint falls under Switzerland’s new law against unfair competition. From January 2025, the law bans advertising “concerning climate impact that cannot be proven on objective and verifiable grounds”.

• The full report by Swiss public television, RTSExternal link (in French)

Keystone / Christian Beutler

US President Donald Trump has decided to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. While these sectors are not particularly vulnerable in Switzerland, other industries could be significantly affected.

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. While Switzerland may not be heavily impacted, it remains an important market for Swiss-based steel producers.

Swiss Steel, which has been facing financial difficulties, generated nearly 10% of its sales from American customers in the first half of 2024.

What is perhaps more worrying for Switzerland is that the Trump administration is considering introducing special customs duties on pharmaceutical products, which would have a much greater impact on the economy.

Around a third of Swiss pharmaceutical exports go to the United States. As medicines are not particularly price-sensitive, tariffs may not immediately reduce demand. However, in the long term, pharmaceutical companies may be encouraged to shift production, research and development – key industries for Switzerland – to the United States.

Trump mainly wants to tax countries with a trade surplus, and Switzerland is among them. It exports more goods to the United States than it imports.

• The full article by Swiss public television, SRFExternal link (in German)
• The article Tages-AnzeigerExternal link article (in German)

SWI swissinfo.ch

Lost Cells – a new podcast starts in February 2025

Lost Cells is a new investigative audio documentary series that delves into the world of high-tech health solutions. It examines the trust we place in technology to protect us from future illness – and what happens when that trust is broken.

The story follows Luis Daniel Marín, a former journalist battling a terminal illness. He discovers that the Swiss company he relied on to store his baby’s cord blood may have lost the very stem cells that could save his life. Driven by a fierce desire to find a cure, he embarks on an emotional quest to find his daughter’s stem cells. He connects with a diverse group of families from across Europe united by a shared sense of betrayal and a desperate need for answers. Together they form an unlikely alliance to expose the impact of the bankruptcy of the Cryo-Save cord blood bank on hundreds of thousands of families across Europe.

The series also highlights the struggles of a Serbian family whose hopes of helping their daughter through groundbreaking research at Duke University were shattered by Cryo-Save’s failure. Through their stories, Lost Cells delves into the vulnerability of families, the ethical dilemmas of emerging scientific advancements, and the gaps in regulation within the private cord blood banking industry.

As the families look for answers they grapple with corporate intrigue, a lack of transparency and supervision in the private cord blood banking industry, and profound personal questions of what it means to lose the most valuable thing we own, our DNA.

Lost Cells will captivate audiences with its suspenseful narrative, compelling characters, and insightful exploration of the emerging cord blood banking industry that resonates deeply with our anxieties about health, technology and the future.

Lost Cells is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast series, made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche and Studio Ochenta.

Narrated in English, Spanish and French by science journalists, Angela Saini, Esther Sanchez and investigative reporter Antoine Harari, the Lost Cells podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Picture of the day

City of Bern workers perform a delicate balancing act to prune trees lining a street in the Lorraine district in the centre of the capital.

Translated from French using DeepL/amva/sb