Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The former heads of world football, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, have once again been acquitted by a Swiss court. But this may not be the final chapter in their long-running legal saga.
In today’s briefing, we also take stock of the cantonal elections halfway through the federal term, explore Switzerland’s global lead in patent filings, and hear from members of the Swiss Abroad community – some of whom are considering a return home.
Enjoy the read,
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured above) and ex-football star Michel Platini were once again acquitted on Tuesday by the Appeals Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court.
As in the initial 2022 ruling, the court rejected the prosecution’s request for a 20-month suspended sentence for each man. The charges centred on a CHF2 million payment from FIFA to Platini in 2011, which prosecutors claimed constituted fraud, mismanagement and forgery.
Both men firmly denied any wrongdoing. “When people talk about forgery, lies and fraud, I don’t recognise myself,” said Blatter, now 89. “This is payback. There is no corruption or scheming,” added Platini.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said it would review the written judgement, before deciding whether to appeal again to the Swiss Federal Court. The original case, which erupted in 2015, effectively ended Platini’s ambitions of succeeding Blatter at the top of world football.
Swiss newspapers in the Tamedia group have analysed the results of the first round of cantonal elections since the 2023 federal vote.
Which party is the biggest winner so far? The right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which has made gains in all nine cantons where elections have taken place – except for a minor slip in canton Uri.
The left-wing Social Democratic Party has also enjoyed a resurgence after a difficult federal election. “We are clearly taking a stand against Trump, Musk and neo-fascism around the world,” said co-president Cédric Wermuth.
In contrast, the Greens, the Liberal-Radical Party, and the Green Liberal Party have all lost ground, while the Centre Party has held relatively steady. The recent election of Martin Pfister, of the Centre Party, to replace outgoing defence minister Viola Amherd, appears to have had little impact either way.
Switzerland has once again claimed the top spot in Europe for patent filings per capita, according to the European Patent Office’s annual report.
Swiss inventors filed nearly 10,000 patents in 2024, placing the country third in Europe and seventh globally. It was Switzerland’s fourth consecutive year of growth.
Medical technology led the pack in Swiss patent applications, followed by innovations in measurement technology and clean energy. Worldwide, the highest number of filings came from the field of information technology – especially artificial intelligence. The fastest growth globally was seen in electrical machines and energy-related inventions.
Geopolitical instability and the rise of polarised politics – particularly in the United States – are prompting some Swiss citizens living abroad to consider moving back to Switzerland, according to Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.
At the Congress of the Swiss Abroad in Bern, SRF spoke to members of the diaspora expressing concern about developments in their host countries. “The Swiss in the United States are worried. Many are even a little ashamed,” said Jeannette Seifert-Widmer, who has been a New York resident for 27 years.
But returning is not always straightforward. “Once you’ve built a life and family abroad, it’s a difficult decision,” she added. “Still, some view their Swiss passport as a form of insurance – an exit strategy if needed.”
Filippo Lombardi, president of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, agreed: “In times of crisis, the Swiss Abroad tend to feel more connected to their homeland. We see it in the questions they ask.”
Listen to the sixth and final episode of “Lost Cells”, our brand new investigative podcast that explores the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell storage in Switzerland.
In our series finale, the Lost Cells team digs deeper into the international standards of the cord blood banking industry. We speak to a specialist who has been working at the forefront of stem cell research for a long time, Dr Joanne Kurtzberg.
Meanwhile, Antoine confronts the Swiss authorities for answers and gains some surprising results. Tatiana and Ratko vow to go public and warn parents all over the world with everything they’ve learned about cord blood banking.
‘Lost Cells’ is a trilingual, investigative podcast and original production from SWI swissinfo.ch made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta.
Translated from French using DeepL/amva/sb
In compliance with the JTI standards
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