Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
What remains when an ambassador leaves? Often nothing tangible. Sometimes a few friendly words. Rarely do diplomats take the opportunity to express themselves more clearly. The outgoing representative of the EU in Bern is an exception – he has given an interview that is well worth reading.
Friendly in tone, straightforward in substance. This is how the EU ambassador bids farewell to his host country in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Here are the most striking sentences from the interview.
On US President Donald Trump’s 39% punitive tariffs for Switzerland: “Once again, we have proof that the EU is Switzerland’s most reliable partner and best friend.”
On Switzerland’s cohesion payments to the EU: “The Swiss contribution amounts to around CHF14 ($17.40) per inhabitant per year. The benefits amount to around CHF3,000 per year. That’s not a bad deal.”
On immigration and the free movement of people: “Immigration is not the result of the free movement of people but of economic growth. It is the price of prosperity. If you want to reduce immigration, you have to move your companies to the US.” On the EU scepticism of the Swiss: “If you could move Switzerland to another place with a magic wand, which neighbours would you rather have than the EU? Nobody has had an answer to that yet.”
The guard dog is intended as a protector. But the animal itself can become a problem, reports the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). Encounters with these imposing dogs can be particularly frightening for hikers.
Last year a livestock-guarding dog bit a hiker in canton Nidwalden, central Switzerland. There have also been attacks in canton Zurich. Bikers have also been bitten. The Herd Protection Centre estimates that there are 25 bites per year in Switzerland.
Now the NZZ reports on a hiker who fell 200 metres in canton Ticino. At the spot where the woman fell, two guard dogs were spotted after the accident. They were guarding goats nearby. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
“If you behave correctly, you have nothing to fear,” says Felix Hahn from the Herd Protection Centre. But he adds that mistrust is in the blood of these animals.
Every month, Swiss bank UBS asks selected specialists for their assessment of the economic outlook. The result of the latest survey is strikingly negative. UBS writes of a “sharp deterioration in the analysts’ economic outlook”.
The bank sees the introduction of the US tariff of 39% on Swiss exports as the main reason for this. Nine out of ten analysts and economists expect reduced export opportunities. In the history of the surveys, such a significant decline has been seen only in the case of drastic events, writes UBS. For example, when the Swiss National Bank discontinued the minimum exchange rate in 2015 and during the Covid-related escalations in 2020 and 2021.
Two further anomalies: most of the investors surveyed are currently reducing US-related investments, such as dollar bonds. They also have little hope for the eurozone or China.
The population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland is clearly in favour of equality and the protection of LGBTQ people. According to a representative survey, 83% are in favour of such measures.
This approval is found across all age groups, genders, educational levels and political camps.
In addition, 69% are concerned about the increase in anti-queer attacks, with the exception of supporters of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, of whom only 43% are concerned.
The demand for legal protection is particularly clear: 84% call for a ban on discrimination in the workplace, 72% for a national ban on so-called conversion therapies.
The results contradict the frequently voiced accusation that the LGBTQ community demands too much. Social support is broad and cross-party, emphasises the gay organisation Pink Cross. 1,010 people were surveyed.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg. Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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