Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Canadian wrestler Thomas Badat is one of the six guests from North America who will be stepping into the sawdust tomorrow at the Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival.
We visited him in training – and produced two videos that are absolutely worth a look.
Warm greetings and a relaxing weekend!
Today, the Swiss event of the year starts in Mollis in the Glarus region with the Federal Wrestling and Alpine Festival.
The wrestling festival only takes place every three years and the canton of Glarus gets to host it for the first time.
The organisers expect 350,000 visitors by Sunday. Preparations for the grand event took 15 years. Tomorrow, Saturday, from 8 a.m., the 274 wrestlers will march into the “largest temporary arena in the world”, as the organisers refer to it.
In eight rounds, four each on Saturday and Sunday, the next wrestling king will be determined. The two best wrestlers after seven rounds will fight for the king’s title in the final round. The winner also receives a bull named Hägar.
In addition, the top 15% of wrestlers get a wreath and a special title: ‘Eidgenoss’ or ‘Confederate’.
Six Swiss Abroad from North America are also running. Some of them are in Switzerland for the first time ever – others are already true veterans.
China celebrates the end of the Second World War on Wednesday. Former Swiss President Ueli Maurer will also take part – as the only representative of Switzerland.
According to a report by SRF, China is showing its latest weapons at the largest military parade in 10 years. To this end, the country has invited guests from five continents to Beijing. The guest of honour is Vladimir Putin with Kim Jong-un from North Korea and the internationally ostracised General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in Myanmar, also attending.
According to SRF, former government minister Ueli Maurer is also on a list of invitees. In addition to the Swiss People’s Party politician, China has invited half a dozen other former officials from Europe who have shown themselves to be China-friendly. However, most of Europe’s incumbent heads of state are staying away from the event.
Maurer told SRF that he received an invitation from China and accepted it. He added that it is important to maintain contacts and relations with China. According to the federal government, his trip is in a private capacity and not on behalf of the Federal Council.
It is a surprisingly clear yes to forced resettlements. A majority in Switzerland is in favour of mountain villages being evacuated if they are threatened in the medium term.
The authorities should be allowed to order forced resettlements even in the medium-term risk of a natural event. A share of 58% of those surveyed said “yes” or “rather yes”. This is the result of a representative Blick survey, which is making headlines today. “The landslide of Blatten has shaken the country. In the meantime, however, solidarity has given way to sobriety,” writes Blick.
There is also controversy among the population as to whether Blatten should really be rebuilt. Only 42% of those surveyed say “yes” or “rather yes” with 55% against it. The approval of reconstruction is strikingly low among the urban population: only 30%.
Thomas Egger, director of the Swiss Association for Mountain Areas, cannot understand why people want to be evacuated even if there is a medium-term risk. The mountain population, who have lived there for years, cannot be conveyed this, he told Blick.
A people’s initiative was submitted today regarding the vote on the new treaties with the EU. Proponents want any deal to not just have the support of the majority of Swiss residents but also the cantons.
When Switzerland votes on the new treaties with the EU, double majority requirement is to apply. This means that the majority of the cantons must also approve the accords. This is what the “Compass Initiative”, which was submitted to the federal government this afternoon, demands.
In fact, the majority of the cantons significantly reduces the chances of success for the EU treaties at the ballot box, as it would give more weight to the votes from the conservative, rural cantons.
The Federal Council wants the vote on the EU treaties to take place with a simple majority of the people. Behind the initiative that has now been submitted is a circle of conservative, wealthy entrepreneurs around the investment billionaire Alfred Gantner.
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