Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad
The EU treaties remain under lock and key – much to the frustration of some parliamentarians.
Two parliamentarians per party are now permitted access the documents under strict conditions.
Have a good read!
Two parliamentarians from all parties are allowed to view the original English version of the EU treaties – under strict conditions.
Previously, only a small group of diplomats and experts, along with Federal Council, had access to the texts, which is standard practice at this stage of intergovernmental negotiations. Following requests from several parties and in light of the importance of the dossier, access is now being extended to more people via a so-called “reading room”, a spokesperson for the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).
In addition to parliamentary groups, members of the advisory group set up by the Federal Council in preparation for negotiations – such as Economiesuisse and the Swiss Trade Association – will also be allowed to view the documents. As the texts are confidential, anyone accessing them must sign a non-disclosure agreement; photos and copies are not permitted and only handwritten notes may be taken, Blick reports.
The final versions of the agreements are expected to be ready in May. The government plans to launch a public consultation in June, after which all treaty texts – including explanatory documents – will be published.
After a record 2024, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) reported a profit of CHF6.7 billion ($8.11 billion) for the first quarter of 2025.
According to the SNB, the strong performance was largely driven by the rising gold price. However, these results do not reflect the impact of the American President Donald Trump’s tariff measures, which were announced in early April. “The SNB’s quarterly result is therefore misleading,” writes Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.
The collapse of global equity markets, a weakening US dollar and the strengthening of the Swiss franc are expected to weigh on the SNB’s result in the second quarter. Economists at UBS estimate that the SNB’s portfolio may have declined in value by up to CHF50 billion by mid-April.
On the upside, markets have since stabilised somewhat, and gold remains at a high level – factors that could again positively influence future results. Still, considerable uncertainty remains.
Criminal networks using fake EU passports to obtain residence permits in Switzerland are becoming increasingly sophisticated
One example comes from canton Neuchâtel, where fifty individuals were caught using forged identity cards from Bulgaria, Lithuania or Belgium to secure residency – most were employed in the hospitality industry.
In an interview with the Swiss public television, SRF programme Rundschau, Alexander Ott of the Bern Immigration Police estimates that up to 10% of residence permits could be fraudulent, based on detected cases and seized forgeries. He notes that local municipalities are often the only authorities to physically inspect documents and calls for nationwide training on how to identify fakes – a system not currently in place.
According to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, 1,863 forged IDs were seized at Swiss borders in 2024. Federal Police (Fedpol) reported 3,735 counterfeit documents uncovered nationwide that same year. The actual figure is thought to be significantly higher.
If you’re passionate about insects, ETH Zurich has something for you: digital 3D insect models.
Switzerland is home to over 30,000 insect species. ETH Zurich has now digitised more than 2,400 of these from museum collections, creating high-resolution 3D models. The aim is to improve collection sharing and preservation. With 3D models, the delicate originals can remain safely stored and undisturbed.
The imaging technology was reserved for the most valuable specimens – particularly those used as type models to describe new species.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva
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