Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The snow and rain currently battering cantons Valais and Ticino are extreme.
The Swiss woman abroad who was kidnapped in Niger also lived in an extreme place – today we learn more about her story.
And we take a look at canton Vaud, where state coffers are in an extremely poor state, partly because the wealthy were under-taxed for years.
Wishing you a good read and a happy Easter!
Heavy precipitation is currently creating big problems in several parts of Switzerland: in canton Valais, several communities have been cut off due to huge snowfall.
The storm, forecast in advance by weather services, arrived overnight on Thursday, affecting Valais, Ticino and the Bernese Oberland. Snow and rain continue to fall.
Roads have been closed in Valais due to snow accumulation, with Zermatt and other communities in valley regions completely isolated. Power cuts have also hit several areas, knocking out mobile networks. The weight of the snow has snapped hundreds of trees, and avalanche warnings are in place. Schools remain closed. Easter tourists have been advised not to travel today.
Ticino, meanwhile, is expecting significant rainfall over the Easter weekend, dampening plans for many German-speaking Swiss hoping for a sunny break in the south. The hotel industry director in Ticino told Swiss public broadcaster, SRF, that the occupancy rate is only around 52% this year. Mendrisio’s traditional Maundy Thursday procession was cancelled due to the rain. Still, anyone hoping for a smooth trip to Ticino may be disappointed: road and rail traffic is expected to remain congested.
The Swiss woman recently kidnapped in Niger has been working on behalf of the local population for decades. Her current whereabouts remain unknown.
On Saturday evening, the 66-year-old woman (who sources in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung [NZZ] newspaper refer to as “Claudia”) was abducted from her home in the city of Agadez. More is now known about her life abroad.
“Why is a Swiss woman living in one of the most dangerous places in the world?” asks the NZZ. Reportedly, “Claudia” did not end up there involuntarily nor due to a thirst for adventure. In 1992, the then-head of human resources at the former Kreditanstalt bank in Zurich emigrated to Algeria, where she fell in love during a desert trip. She married a Tuareg man. After his sudden death, she moved to Agadez with her second husband.
Though her freedom in Niger was limited and she could not move around alone, even within the city, “Claudia” was reportedly happy with life. Together with another Swiss woman and local women, she founded a cooperative selling leather goods and handicrafts.
“She is deeply respected locally,” said the head of a local aid organisation, adding that her kidnapping has sparked outrage in the community. The Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed that the Swiss representation on the ground is in contact with local authorities and investigations are underway.
Canton Vaud is CHF396 million ($484.5 million) in the red. This is partly because the wealthy were under-taxed for over a decade, as Le Temps has revealed.
The investigation shows that, for more than 13 years, the full income of wealthy taxpayers was not properly accounted for, contrary to legal requirements. This practice was quietly corrected in 2022, following a Federal Court ruling in 2018.
The revelations cast a shadow over Pascal Broulis, who served as Vaud’s finance director for 20 years. His successor, Valérie Dittli, who took office in 2022, encountered resistance within the administration when she began investigating the matter. She commissioned independent reports to confirm the situation.
However, her handling of it has also been criticised, including her communication strategy. On March 1, Dittli was stripped of the finance portfolio and reassigned to digitalisation and consumption.
The federal government is tightening regulations on Temu, the low-cost online marketplace. Phrases that exert psychological pressure on customers are now banned.
Temu is known for its ultra-low prices. Despite criticism, it is widely used in Switzerland. The Swiss Trade Association estimates 15 million parcels were delivered to Switzerland in 2023 by Temu and the Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein.
Temu’s marketing tactics include countdown offers and claims like “almost sold out”. These tactics were challenged by Swiss consumer and trade groups. Complaints were lodged with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Aargauer Zeitung reports.
After months of discussions, Temu has now agreed to modify its language and presentation. SECO confirmed that phrases like “Hurry up, over x-amount of people have this item in their cart!” have been removed, and “flash sale” prompts have been scaled back. In return, SECO has dropped plans for legal proceedings.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva
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