Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad
Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, Swiss newspapers are looking back – and reflecting on today’s conflicts. What remains of peace?
This briefing also covers tightened border checks in Germany and Switzerland’s renewed attempt to sell tanks to Germany.
Finally, we head to the countryside and its stunning yellow rapeseed fields – where trouble is quietly growing.
Best wishes from Bern
The Second World War ended in Europe 80 years ago – bells rang out in Switzerland and people celebrated. But the euphoria soon gave way to reality: Switzerland had to justify itself internationally.
On May 8, 1945, church bells rang out across Switzerland – the Second World War in Europe was over. “The Swiss population reacted euphorically to the news of the end of the war,” says historian Sacha Zala in the Aargauer Zeitung. There were spontaneous celebrations and school lessons were cancelled.
But Germany’s unconditional surrender did not automatically solve all problems. Switzerland – like other neutral countries – was viewed as a “rogue state and war profiteer” after the war, according to Zala. Under pressure, Switzerland paid out German assets held in Swiss banks to the Allies and managed to appease Stalin after an anti-communist speech by the Swiss foreign minister.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) and the Tages-Anzeiger today published interviews with German historians, who analyse the end of the war and express concern about the rise of right-wing extremism in Germany. “We have learnt nothing from history,” 84-year-old Wolfgang Benz tells the Tages-Anzeiger.
Germany is increasing border checks and plans to turn back asylum seekers – without informing Switzerland. The unilateral move has caused irritation in Bern, prompting Justice Minister Beat Jans to request a meeting with his German counterpart.
It is not only in the US that newly appointed ministers are causing a stir. Germany’s new Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced that asylum seekers will in future be turned back at the border, as reported by Swiss public broadcaster, SRF. Dobrindt does not mince words, saying the measures are “a signal that the policy in Germany has changed”.
Switzerland responded quickly. “From Switzerland’s point of view, systematic rejections at the border violate applicable law,” the Department of Justice posted on X. Minister Jans has proposed a bilateral meeting – a response is still awaited.
In 2024, Germany returned 11,000 people to Switzerland at the border. With stricter checks, more such cases are expected, writes Swiss public broadcaster, SRF. Whether these individuals are granted asylum in Switzerland or also deported must be assessed case by case.
A second attempt is under way: Ruag wants to sell Leopard tanks to Germany – this time with a guarantee that they will not be used in Ukraine. The Swiss federal government’s decision is still pending.
We are sticking with Swiss-German relations. After a deal that fell through two years ago, state-owned defence firm Ruag wants to sell Leopard tanks to Germany, according to Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.
As before, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is the interested buyer. Two years ago, Swiss government blocked the sale on neutrality grounds: Swiss war materiel can only be exported to countries not involved in armed conflict. If the deal is attempted again, Rheinmetall should guarantee that the tanks will not be used in the war in Ukraine. In Switzerland, the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the foreign ministry are reviewing the deal. Swiss public broadcaster, SRF expects a decision in the coming weeks, at which point the deal will be presented to the Swiss federal government. The tanks are currently stored temporarily in Italy.
Rapeseed cultivation in Switzerland is declining – a ban on insecticides and falling prices are taking their toll on the iconic yellow fields.
They’re a springtime staple in Switzerland: bright yellow rapeseed fields. But they’re shrinking. Farmers say rapeseed is no longer profitable, reports 24 heures. Compared to 2023, the area under cultivation has dropped by 11%.
One reason is the ban on insecticides containing cyantraniliprole. Without it, pests like flea beetles and weevils can destroy crops, says farmer Jérôme Schüpbach. The Swiss Grain Producers Association is sounding the alarm – just 1% of the harvest comes from organic farming.
Meanwhile, rapeseed prices are falling. But shouldn’t prices rise if supply is shrinking? Not in this case: Switzerland imports rapeseed and rapeseed oil from countries where the banned pesticides are still allowed, keeping prices down.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva
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