The Week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Welcome to our selection of some of the biggest – and most colourful – stories in Switzerland over the past seven days.
We’ll travel around the country, from Eurovision in Basel and US-China talks in Geneva to a Swiss-EU deal in Bern. We also look at why army bras – not army brass – are in the news.
Enjoy the read!
The winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be crowned and covered in confetti in Basel on Saturday night. However, off-stage controversy has been filling Swiss media all week.
Several demonstrations against Israel’s participation have been held in Basel. Swiss singer Nemo, who won the contest last year, backed calls from more than 70 former Eurovision contestantsExternal link to exclude Israel from the competition. “Nemo is right”, wrote Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger in an editorial on Tuesday. “If a state crosses red lines, such a sanction should be possible.”
On Thursday Israeli singer Yuval Raphael’s performance was disrupted during the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final. Six people with Palestinian flags and whistles were removed from the hall. On Thursday evening, around a hundred people demonstrated in Basel’s cathedral square against anti-Semitism, expressing their solidarity with Raphael.
Also on Thursday the European Union’s culture chief hit out at Eurovision for banning performers from waving the EU flag, saying Europeans should not need permission to celebrate their identity. “The European flag stands for our values, for our European identity, for inclusion – and for the citizenship of nearly half a billion people,” Culture Commissioner Glenn Micallef told POLITICO. “If national flags belong on stage, the European flag does too.”
The hosts could be forgiven for wondering whether it’s all worth it. Swiss public television SRF looked at how much it all costs (about CHF60 million, or $70 million), who can hope to benefit from it (hard to say, but SRF points to the hospitality and retail sectors, the event industry, and tech, logistics and transport companies) and whether it can be a springboard for artists’ careers (sometimes).
Can Zoë Më make it two wins in a row for Switzerland? Probably not, according to British bookmakersExternal link, who like the look and sound of Sweden and Austria. But with Eurovision you never know…
Geneva was the focus of global attention last weekend as tariff talks between the United States and China wrapped up. Hosting the event seems to have benefited Switzerland.
On Saturday US President Donald Trump welcomed the “great progress” made, and on Monday the world’s two biggest economies announced a 90-day deal to slash the massive tariffs they had imposed on each other, cheering global markets.
Although Switzerland wasn’t involved in the content of the talks in Geneva, its organisational efforts appeared to pay off when, on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Switzerland had moved to the front of the queue for a trade deal of its own with Washington. Bessent’s comments prompted Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter to say that Switzerland should be “among the next” countries – even the next country – to reach a deal with the US.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said much of the negotiations with the Chinese were spent in the shady gardens of the opulent, 18th-century villa overlooking Lake Geneva. “Everything has gone off flawlessly,” Greer said. “This may not seem important to those not involved, but the atmospherics provided by the Swiss government were incredibly conducive to the conclusions we had this weekend.” News agency Reuters said Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was also complimentary, praising Switzerland’s “warm hospitality”.
Switzerland has negotiated a safeguard clause to restrict immigration in its bilateral deal with the European Union (EU). On Wednesday it revealed the criteria that would trigger the clause. Reaction has been predictably mixed.
“In a way, this is the mother of all bilateral battles. How to convince the Swiss that the package of agreements negotiated with Brussels not only allows us to remain sovereign but also to better control immigration?” asked Le Temps. “The government has come up with its secret weapon: the safeguard clause.”
This clause, the government explained in a statement, could be applied if thresholds are exceeded in unemployment, welfare or net immigration. Indicators that point to “serious economic or social problems”, such as in the housing or transport sectors, would also be taken into account.
Those on the political left generally welcomed the news, according to Swiss public radio SRF, with the Social Democratic Party saying the safeguard clause gave the government necessary room for manoeuvre. Centrist parties welcomed the fact that the government was tackling immigration but said questions remained regarding its practical implementation. However, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party reckoned it was a “scam”, saying the safeguard was unsuitable for limiting immigration effectively. Lisa Mazzone, president of the left-wing Green Party, was also against it but for a different reason: she said the safeguard clause was unnecessary in view of the shortage of skilled labour.
Media reaction was mostly lukewarm. “The safeguard clause is a political nerve-calmer, nothing more”, was the headline of the Tages-Anzeiger’s editorial. “The government wants to be able to curb immigration on its own. Quite right. But this won’t change the fact that Switzerland remains a country of immigration – and must face up to the consequences.”
Bras with metal underwires are too dangerous for military activities, according to the Swiss army. It has sent a letter to all female soldiers encouraging them to wear sports bras, which the army will reimburse.
“Any metal object between the upper body and the bullet-proof vest can constitute an increased danger in the event of shock waves, splinters or projectiles,” says Lara Joye, lieutenant in the Red Cross medical service, explaining that this could perforate the chest cavity.
Like her female military colleagues, Joye received a letter from the army last month, which “strongly recommends” that she wear sport bras while on duty, Swiss public broadcaster RTS reported on Monday. To encourage female soldiers to wear sports bras, the defence ministry will contribute CHF100 ($120) towards the purchase of underwear every three years.
Joye welcomes this, although she would have found it more practical if the army had supplied her with the equipment directly. “In an ideal world, it would be simpler if we received all the bras on our first day of service.” However, she feels that being able to choose her own bras also has the advantage of being able to select the ones that suit her best.
Last year, there were almost 2,800 women in the Swiss army, less than 2% of the total. The defence ministry wants to increase this to 10% by 2030.
The week ahead
Monday sees the publication by the Federal Statistical Office of the latest national health survey.
Tuesday is World Bee Day. The news from Swiss beekeepers in recent years hasn’t been too good.
Swiss artist Jean Tinguely would have turned 100 on Thursday. Various Tinguely-related events are happening around the country during the week.
More
Will Switzerland finally do away with imputed rental-value tax on homeowners?
More
Safra Sarasin private bank and former asset manager sentenced
More
Racist chats among Lausanne police – an isolated case in Switzerland?
More
Ups and downs: a first taste of competitive Swiss flag throwing
More
Anti-Semitism in Switzerland: ‘You’re insulted but you’re not supposed to feel it’
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