The week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
There’s been a breakthrough! That’s not something you hear too often at the moment, but on Wednesday miners celebrated the piercing of the 400m long bypass road tunnel between Cham and Hünenberg in canton Zug.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over US tariffs, the Swiss women’s football team makes history, bathers in a Swiss town are split on banning non-Swiss residents from their public pool – and a tiny Swiss dog has become a “glacier hero” around the world.
Confusion and uncertainty with the United States continues. A deadline for trade negotiations with the US has been extended, but US President Donald Trump has threatened the pharma industry with tariffs of up to 200%.
On Monday, Trump sent letters to 14 countries, informing them they faced tariffs of up to 40%on goods imported into the US. “Switzerland has not received a letter from US President Trump,” the economics ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
Trump also extended a July 9 deadline for ongoing tariff negotiations for many countries, including Switzerland, until August 1. Until then, a general tariff of 10% applies. Federal Councillor Albert Rösti told Swiss public broadcaster, SRF, that the government was “hopeful” that Switzerland and the US would reach “a good conclusion or at least a first step” in the customs dispute.
However, on Tuesday Trump took aim at the pharmaceutical industry, threatening to impose tariffs on imports of up to 200% “very soon”. Switzerland is a major pharma hub, home to multinationals such as Roche and Novartis. That said, the following day the Financial Times noted how shares in drugmakers had barely moved following Trump’s threat. “No one is taking it seriously,” one analyst told the FT. “The idea of the Taco trade [Trump always chickens out] still prevails.”
Well that was close. Switzerland have qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s Euro football championship for the first time by the skin of their teeth.
A 92nd-minute injury-time equaliser against Finland in Geneva on Thursday night means host nation Switzerland have made it out of the group stage for the first time since they qualified for the Euros in 2017.
“Right up until the last second, I knew we were going to score. We deserved a lot more and we got it in the end,” said goal scorer Riola Xhemaili. “It’s a historic day for the whole of Switzerland.”
Going into Thursday’s match, Switzerland knew a draw would be enough to see them through, but they fell behind in the 79th minute after the Finns converted a penalty. Xhemaili’s goal meant the match ended 1-1. Switzerland’s next match, in the quarterfinals, is in Bern on Friday.
Should you have to be a Swiss resident to use a Swiss public swimming pool? Yes, according to the authorities in one town, in a case that’s generating quite a few waves around Europe.
Last week the town of Porrentruy in northwestern Switzerland banned non-Swiss residents from using its open-air public swimming pool until August 31. This mainly concerns French residents, as the border is just ten kilometres away. Since the start of the summer season, more than 20 people have been banned from the pool for inappropriate behaviour. The offences include failure to observe hygiene rules (swimming in underwear) and insults to other young people, a local politician told 24heures. “Those targeted reacted to reprimands with insults, threats and even, in some cases, physical violence,” he said. In addition, some young women felt in danger after being followed back to their vehicles by young people who had also touched them inappropriately.
Tourists can get round the ban if they can prove that they are staying in a hotel in canton Jura.
On Thursday the Tribune de Genève visited Porrentruy to find out what locals thought. Some were outraged, others relieved. “I’m ashamed that the name of my town is appearing in all the media and on social networks because of a clearly xenophobic decision,” sighed one local. “This morning I even learnt that the German far right is using the example of our swimming pool to spread its hatred of foreigners.”
However, three friends applauded the authorities’ “courageous” decision. “I’m fed up with getting all the people who have been turned away from French swimming pools. There’s nothing xenophobic about it, it’s simply a question of good manners. Don’t you know how to behave? Are you ruining the lives of the people who pay taxes to use this swimming pool? Then you don’t belong here!”
A very small dog generated a very big media reaction this week after it helped save its owner, who had fallen into a crevasse.
The man was travelling with his chihuahua on the Fee Glacier when he broke through a snow bridge and fell into an eight-metre-deep crevasse, the Air Zermatt air rescue service said on Sunday. The man called for help using an amateur walkie-talkie.
The rescue team was struggling to locate him, but it then spotted a small movement on a rock. This turned out to be a tiny dog – referred to as a chihuahua by the rescuers, but Bild newspaper in Germany reckoned he or she may in fact be a papillon, a type of spaniel. According to the rescue team, the shivering dog never moved from the location and kept a close eye on every movement of the rescuers.
“The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved its master’s life in a life-threatening situation,” Air Zermatt said. Man and dog were taken to hospital in Visp.
The story was picked up by papers all around the world, from India to the United States.
The week ahead
The 11th Festival Les Georges starts in the city centre of Fribourg on Monday, offering six days of various music styles from Swiss and international artists.
Monday is also exactly 160 years since the first ascension of the Matterhorn, a controversial and tragic storyExternal link.
On Thursday iconic Italian singer-songwriter Gianna Nannini is making an appearance at the Moon & Stars open-air music festival in Locarno.
This year’s Montreux Jazz Festival wraps up on Saturday, having opened with a tribute to Quincy Jones.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg/sb
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