Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The mountain village of Blatten is already planning to rebuild – just two weeks after most of it was buried in a landslide. The Swiss press is asking: is this courage or wishful thinking?
In Geneva, a new school policy has sparked discontent across the French border. And in sport, the Swiss women’s football team has lost not just a key player but an icon, as Ramona Bachmann will miss the upcoming European Championships – set to be played on home soil.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Just two weeks after the devastating landslide in the Lötschental valley, the mayor of Blatten has presented plans to rebuild the buried village – complete with a new square, church and fresh outlook.
Sixteen days after the village was almost completely buried by a massive rock and ice avalanche, the municipality unveiled an ambitious reconstruction plan during a community meeting. The vision is to make Blatten habitable again within five years. “Can you overcome a once-in-a-millennium catastrophe in just five years?” asks the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).
The mayor believes it’s possible. Temporary housing could be in place by 2027, with construction on a new village centre – including multi-purpose buildings, a church, shop and hotels – set to begin by 2028. The goal is for residents to return to the centre by 2029. Locals responded positively to the plan. The federal government is backing the effort with CHF5 million ($6.2 million) in emergency aid, approved unanimously in parliament.
Yet concerns remain. Experts warn that the buried ground is unstable due to ice content that must first melt. Meanwhile, the mountain above continues to crumble, according to the NZZ, and geologists caution that the site may remain unsafe for years
Swiss companies will soon be required to declare their real owners. A national transparency register will be created following votes by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Roughly 500,000 entities – including public limited companies, limited liability companies, cooperatives, foundations and certain associations – will be required to record their beneficial owners in a new, non-public register, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). The aim is to help law enforcement agencies identify who is actually behind a company and crack down on money laundering.
However, parliament scaled back the government’s original proposal. Foundations, associations and trustees will be exempt. Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved the bill – with amendments – by 117 votes to 63. The legislation now returns to the Senate to reconcile the versions passed by both chambers.
The Geneva government’s decision to stop admitting pupils from abroad and from canton Vaud into its schools from 2026 has sparked a backlash from both French politicians and Swiss nationals living across the border.
As my colleague Emilie Ridard reported yesterday, transitional rules that allowed cross-border pupils to complete their compulsory schooling in Geneva will end in 2026.
Christian Dupessey, mayor of Annemasse, a French town of 40,000 near the border, condemned the “brutal measure”, telling Swiss public broadcaster, RTS, that it was taken “without prior consultation” and would have “serious consequences” for families and French authorities.
The decision is expected to save CHF27 million ($33 million). However, RTS reports that 85% of cross-border pupils are Swiss citizens. Many families live in France due to Geneva’s housing shortage. RTS spoke to a Swiss mother now weighing up whether she must return to Geneva, despite not being able to afford it.
Just 18 days before the European Women’s Football Championship kicks off in Switzerland, the national team has lost one of its brightest stars. Ramona Bachmann has torn her cruciate ligament in training and will miss the tournament.
It’s always a bitter blow to miss a major competition – but even more so when it’s hosted in your country. Bachmann, 33, has been a standout figure for Switzerland on and off the pitch. With 153 caps and 60 goals, she’s second only to Ana-Maria Crnogorčević in the national scoring charts.
Since her professional debut at 16 in Sweden, Bachmann has helped shape a generation of Swiss female footballers and inspired many of her teammates. Her absence marks a major loss for the squad – and a personal heartbreak at what would have been the peak of her international career.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva/ts
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