Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
"Switzerland is in shock," proclaim the editorials in most Swiss newspapers a day after the entry into force of US tariffs of 39%. Many point the finger at the Federal Council's strategy but it is not all pessimism. They call on the government to work without further delay on a plan B.
Happy reading
The Swiss press criticised the Federal Council’s strategy on Friday, which failed to prevent the imposition of 39% tariffs by the United States. Political parties are also showing their discontent.
Switzerland “is falling from a height and seeing its economy tremble,” writes the newspaper Le Temps. “We felt in a palpable way all the powerlessness of a government of a small country in the face of arbitrariness and the demonstration of force of a great power,” adds 24 heures. The German-speaking headlines of Tamedia warn that “daring to confront Trump is dangerous, but trusting him is even more so.”
Commentators believe that the Swiss government must change its attitude towards the American president. Maybe Switzerland should call Trump’s bluff, say the newspapers of the CH Media group, noting that the “model student” strategy has failed. “The Swiss software needs a major update,” says Le Temps, suggesting the need for more opportunism.
The government is also singled out by the political left and the Swiss People’s Party. “Karin Keller-Sutter’s strategy of kowtowing and going it alone in the face of Trump is a bitter failure,” says Green Party leader Lisa Mazzone. Conversely, the Swiss People’s Party considers that the Federal Council has culpably neglected relations with the United States.
In an attempt to change Trump’s stance on tariffs, Switzerland is considering investments of several billion dollars in the United States. The Bund and the Tages-Anzeiger tried to find out the content of the Swiss offer to Washington.
Among the investments is the expansion of the production sites of the pharmaceutical group Roche in the United States, according to the newspapers. Among other things, the Swiss company plans to manufacture a large part of its new anti-obesity drug there. It also wants to transfer part of the research there.
The Federal Council also wants to import gas and oil from the United States. The newspapers also claim that Bern plans to buy more American weapons. For its part, Swiss International Airlines could make its contribution by buying Boeing aircraft. It remains to be seen whether the agriculture sector will also have to make an effort: it would be a question of facilitating beef imports from the United States.
Swiss exporting companies, on the other hand, are developing their own solutions. Some are considering relocation. Active in the biomedical industry, Ypsomed plans, for example, to move part of its production to Germany, which is less affected by customs duties. “These tariffs are simply too high. They are prohibitive,” comments its director Simon Michel.
A colonel in the Swiss Armed Forces has been suspended from his duties and recalled from his post abroad. He is suspected of having passed information to Russia, an SRF investigation reveals.
The man at the centre of this case is a senior employee of the defence ministry: he has worked there for 20 years and has held important positions abroad. He was working in Vienna at the Swiss delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) when he was recalled.
The colonel is accused of having handed over a document to Russia in the summer of 2024, according to SRF. The sanctions against the colonel have been criticised in some army circles : it is said to be a document that would have been circulated a few hours later to the entire OSCE in any case. The defence ministry did not want to confirm the nature of the charges against the colonel for reasons of privacy.
The military justice system has opened an investigation. This is not directed against a particular person but aims to clarify the facts. Military criminal proceedings will only be initiated if it results in “sufficient suspicion of significant punishable behaviour by a person”, the defence ministry explained to Keystone-SDA.
The former director of Credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam, accuses the Swiss justice system of racism, 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève reported on Friday. His statements are causing controversy in Switzerland.
“I can’t get a fair trial in Switzerland. Because Switzerland is convinced that if their bank has collapsed, it is the fault of the black man who ran it for five years.” These are the words of the famous Ivorian banker Tidjane Thiam, in an interview with the AFO Media platform, based in France, widely followed in Africa, but little known to the Western public.
The former head of Credit Suisse is targeting the Zurich courts, which dismissed his case in July against his former housekeeper who was accused of attempted coercion. The latter claimed the payment of CHF587,000 in overtime. A spokesperson for the Zurich Court rejects the allegations of racism made by Tidjane Thiam, deeming them unfounded.
“It is not possible to say in general that the Swiss justice system is racist,” says Giulia Reimann, deputy head of the Federal Commission against Racism. However, she points out that a situation of racism is not always easy to assess: “In our consultations, we assume that the feelings of the person concerned must be taken seriously.”
If you are a Swiss Abroad living in New Zealand, Israel, Singapore or Brunei, Swissinfo will give you the opportunity to ask your ambassador a question.
August 22 & 23 are slated for SwissCommunity Days– the new format of the Congress of the Swiss Abroad. Among the guests will be the Swiss ambassadors to New Zealand, Israel, Singapore and Brunei. Swissinfo will host a panel in their presence – and wants to make your voice heard.
What would you like to ask your ambassador? How do you perceive the role and presence of the Swiss representation on the ground? What are the concerns that mark your daily life abroad? And what do you think should be changed?
Click here to ask your question
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