Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Is the new defence minister, Martin Pfister, in too much of a hurry? Yes, say certain critics.
Pfister has broken Switzerland’s traditional 100-day rule, Today he revealed his priorities for his department after just 50 days. “The current security situation in Europe does not allow us to wait,” he declared.
Some parliamentarians criticise Pfister for breaking the 100-day rule. "If government ministers respect a 100-day period, it is because it is necessary to get a general idea of their department," said Jean-Luc Addor of the right-wing Swiss People's Party.
Enjoy today’s briefing.
It was another deadly weekend in the Swiss Alps. The bodies of five skiers were found above Zermatt on Saturday and a man died in an avalanche near Kandersteg, in the Bernese Oberland, on Sunday. Meanwhile, a crumbling mountain continues to threaten the small Valais village of Blatten.
Five lifeless bodies were discovered on the Adler Glacier near Zermatt on Saturday. The alarm was raised by hikers who spotted abandoned skis below the Rimpfischhorn, at 4,000 metres. The victims are still being identified.
The circumstances of this tragedy are still unknown. The five people could have been swept away by snow piled up by the wind. The Office of the Attorney General of canton Valais has opened an investigation.
In the Bernese Alps, a 29-year-old man was swept away by an avalanche on the Morgenhorn on Sunday afternoon.
Residents of the evacuated village of Blatten in canton Valais, meanwhile, have still not been able to return home. The Birch Glacier above Blatten is of particular concern to specialists. It is threatening to break up, with nine million tonnes of rocks and debris from a nearby crumbling mountain estimated to have amassed on the ice. The next step is to improve the surveillance system for the glacier and the road leading to Blatten, which is highly exposed.
The risk of war in Europe over the next five years is increasing, warns Switzerland’s new defence minister, Martin Pfister. Just 50 days after taking office, he has unveiled his objectives and priorities.
Confronted by spying, cyber-attacks and influence-peddling, Switzerland’s security has never been under such threat in recent decades, Pfister told reporters at the Bure military base in canton Jura. The new minister, who took office at the beginning of April, believes that the federal authorities must do more to ensure Switzerland’s security.
“Our army must train with NATO forces and with our neighbours. It’s a question of security for the whole continent, of which Switzerland is a part,” he told the newspaper Le Temps. However, he made it clear that he is not in favour of joining NATO.
Confronted with the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is under pressure from all sides to be firmer with the Israeli government, including within Switzerland.
The Swiss ambassador to Israel, Simon Geissbüler, has already sent several notes to the Swiss government calling for more pressure on the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the NZZ newspaper revealed at the weekend. Despite this, Ignazio Cassis refused to join an appeal by 22 Western states for more aid for the people of Gaza, which earned him a barrage of criticism.
Many voices from the Israeli Jewish community are also beginning to be heard denouncing the situation in Gaza. “The Israeli government’s promises to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza must be kept immediately,” Ralph Friedländer, president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, told Swiss public radio, RTS.
Anger is also being felt on Swiss streets. On Saturday, 2,000 people gathered in Bern to demonstrate against the war in Gaza. As the protest was not authorised, the police deployed considerable resources to disperse the demonstrators. In Bellinzona, between 4,000 and 5,000 people also took part in a protest.
Zurich Airport is mulling the introduction of the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard, CH Media newspapers report. This is a green lanyard with a sunflower symbol, used internationally as a sign of recognition for people with invisible disabilities.
Not all disabilities are visible at first sight. This is particularly true of mental illnesses, autism, Parkinson’s disease, respiratory illnesses and speech, sight or hearing disorders.
Sunflower lanyards serve as a sign of recognition in public spaces for people suffering from these conditions. This discreetly alerts people nearby that the person wearing it may need extra attention, support or time.
Its use has become established in many places, such as Berlin, Stockholm and Singapore airports. In Switzerland, Geneva Airport is already using the symbol. Zurich may soon follow suit. The Swiss Federal Railways are also open to the concept.
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