Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The economic and financial situation in Switzerland is less worrying than in many other countries. Nevertheless, big money stories are becoming an increasingly common theme in the Swiss media, as you will see from this selection of today’s news.
You’ll also discover a new reason to avoid drinking raw milk.
It’s an unusual occurrence: cantonal governments are writing to protest against federal budget cuts. The heads of sport in the six French-speaking cantons do not want to see a reduction in the resources allocated to Youth and Sport programmes.
In a letter to Sports Minister Martin Pfister, the French-speaking cantons say they are “firmly opposed” to a budget cut announced by the government in June. In the 2026 budget, the government plans to cut subsidies to Youth and Sport programmes by 20%, or CHF2.2 million ($2.75 million).
Those responsible for sport in French-speaking Switzerland believe that such a cut would weaken the fabric of associations and restrict access to sport for the most disadvantaged sections of society. “Sport is an essential lever for public health, social cohesion and education in civic values,” say the French-speaking cantons.
This proposed cut comes at a time when participation in Youth and Sport programmes is at an all-time high. In 2024, more than 680,000 children and young people took part, an increase of 6% on the previous year. The French-speaking cantons therefore believe that the budget should be increased rather than reduced.
The Swiss Cancer League is sounding the alarm. Early breast cancer screening programmes for women aged 50 and over are being threatened by a reduction in radiologists’ fees. Prevention is essential in the fight against this type of cancer.
These programmes exist in 14 of 26 cantons and are due to be introduced in four others. However, the fees charged for these examinations are set to be drastically reduced, in some cases by half, from January 2026. “Some radiologists have already informed us that they will no longer participate in the screening programme because they don’t consider the new fees to cover their costs,” Rudolf Morant, president of the Cancer League of Eastern Switzerland and member of the board of Swiss Cancer Screening, told Swiss public radio, SRF.
Aware of the importance of screening, the umbrella organisation for health insurers has said negotiations on the fees are underway.
Tox Info is also facing financial problems. Since the beginning of the month, the toxicology advisory service has been circulating a petition to draw attention to its situation. The decline in donations and the withdrawal of health insurance funds have been putting a strain on the foundation’s finances since 2020. It’s calling for emergency federal aid of CHF1 million ($1.25 million) to avoid bankruptcy and continue its activities next year.
The public authorities, which fund Tox Info to the tune of 65%, are refusing to chip in any more money. The petition, which has already been signed by 80,000 people, will be submitted during the autumn parliamentary session in an attempt to reverse the trend. The poison control centre, which can be reached on the freephone number 145, recorded almost 43,000 requests for advice last year, most of them relating to the exposure of a child under the age of five to a toxic product.
The Swiss will not have to vote on indirect aid to the press. The referendum launched against this measure adopted by parliament ultimately failed to obtain the necessary signatures within 100 days.
The referendum was launched by the a committee comprising members of the youth sections of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and the centre-right Radical-Liberal Party. The deadline for collecting the 50,000 signatures is tomorrow, but the committee threw in the towel last night. “Given the proportion of invalid signatures that can be expected from experience, it’s clear that there will not be enough signatures by the deadline,” it explained.
The referendum committee did not provide precise figures on the number of signatures collected, but it indicated that there were many reasons for the failure. The main reason was the late start to the signature drive and the fact that the attention of many parties was focused on other cantonal and national issues.
In March, parliament increased the funds earmarked for printed newspapers and magazines from CHF35 million ($44 million) to CHF85 million a year. Limited to a period of seven years, this aid is intended to reduce distribution charges. For the referendum committee, this is an investment in an “outdated model”.
Consuming raw milk can present a health risk for the elderly or frail, pregnant women and young children because of its possible contamination by pathogenic bacteria. But in addition to the traditional diarrhoea, fevers and allergies, there is a new disease associated with raw milk: tick-borne encephalitis.
Until now, it was known that tick-borne encephalitis could be transmitted to humans by the direct bite of a tick. But the French Food Safety Agency has identified a new mode of transmission: the disease can be contracted by consuming raw milk from an animal that has itself been infected by a tick. The problem also concerns dairy products made from raw milk.
Encephalitis is the most serious tick-borne disease. This viral infection can cause inflammation of the brain and meningitis, leading to serious after-effects and even death. It cannot be treated with medication, but there is a vaccine.
As a result of global warming, ticks have greatly expanded their habitat. The number of bites in Switzerland has risen steadily to around 15,000. So be cautious, but don’t panic: tick-borne encephalitis affects only around 30 people a year in Switzerland.
Translated from French by DeepL/ts
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