Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
the villagers of Blatten want to rebuild after the landslide and a survey shows that the Swiss would prefer a less accommodating trade policy towards Donald Trump.
We will also once again revisit the purchase of F-35 fighter jets and invite you to have your say on the design of the new Swiss banknote series.
Enjoy the read!
Three months after the landslide that destroyed the village of Blatten in Valais, the authorities have taken stock of the situation with the former inhabitants. Reconstruction is at the heart of concerns.
Of the 300 inhabitants, 80% have found accommodation in the Lötschental valley in holiday homes or apartments that are normally rented out for vacationers. This is a temporary solution as most want to return to live in Blatten when the village is rebuilt.
The first step towards reconstruction will be to restore running water and electricity in the hamlets of Weissenried and Eisten, upstream of the debris flow. It should happen in the next 10 days. The second stage consists of enlarging these two hamlets by 2028 and then partially rebuilding the center of Blatten by 2030 and extending it to the opposite side of the glacier.
Another aspect is tourism, which is very important for the valley. Even before the landslide, the Lötschental was struggling to meet the demand for holiday accommodation and the landslide destroyed three hotels. In order to be able to partially save the next winter season, the construction of a temporary three-star hotel in modular wooden structures is planned, which should be inaugurated at Christmas.
Switzerland must not make concessions to the United States after Washington imposed a hefty 39% tariff on Swiss exports. This is the opinion of almost two-thirds of respondents, according to a Yougov poll.
Only a quarter of the population agrees with what so far seems to be the path taken by the Federal Council, i.e. to continue negotiating to find a way to appease American President Donald Trump and make him revise tariffs downwards.
Among the various ideas proposed, one that the Tages Anzeiger talks about this morning is to pass the purchase of American Boeing planes by German airline Lufthansa (parent company of SWISS airlines) through Switzerland, thus reducing the American trade deficit with Switzerland.
Half of the people questioned by Yougov think that the government should focus more on domestic manufacturing, even at the cost of higher prices. Of those surveyed, 41% believe that Swiss companies should not make substantial investments in the US, while 14% take the opposite view.
More than half of the supporters of almost all political parties say they are in favour of greater cooperation with the European Union. The exception are supporters of the EU-sceptic Swiss People’s Party which is firmly opposed to such an option.
More bad news from the United States: The Federal Council has confirmed that Washington does not intend to change its position on the F-35 fighter jets that Switzerland has ordered. The federal government will not be able to impose the fixed price that the defence ministry assured had been agreed.
After this summer’s talks between Bern and Washington, it is still unclear how much higher the bill will be for Switzerland. “It will depend on the further development of inflation in the US, the price of raw materials and other factors, such as price increases due to customs duties imposed by the US,” writes the government, which nevertheless estimates that the additional costs are expected to be between CHF650 million and CHF1.3 billion.
However, the government does not intend to give up on the purchase and “intends to protect Switzerland from air threats with this jet with a significant technological advantage over other aircraft and widely used in European states”, writes the Federal Council, announcing that it has instructed the defence ministry to examine possible options and to present a proposal on the further course of action by the end of November.
What will the new Swiss banknote series look like? This will be decided via a poll that the Swiss National Bank (SNB) launched today. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from 12 different and colourful proposals by September 7.
The results of the survey, together with an evaluation of the banknote designs by an advisory board made up of experts from a range of disciplines, will be factored into the selection of the future banknotes. A second selection phase will focus in particular on the commercial aspects.
The final choice will be announced at the beginning of 2026 and the start of the new series is expected to start in circulation in 2030 at the earliest. The 12 proposals were created by teams of designers who participated in the competition organised by the SNB.
The theme they had to stick to was ‘Switzerland and its altitudes’. The SNB explains on its website that the new series will be dedicated to the unique topography of Switzerland from the Jura to the Central Plateau to the Alps, and will portray the entire country, from the deepest valleys to the highest peaks. The future series is to reproduce the multiplicity of life that develops along the different altitudinal zones of the Swiss mountains.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
