Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Residents of Pulau Pari, an island in Indonesia, are accusing Swiss cement giant Holcim of contributing to the climate crisis that is threatening their existence. For the first time in Switzerland, a court will assess the admissibility of the complaint – a case that could set a precedent.
We also look at former government minister Ueli Maurer’s visit to Beijing with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, and the end of speculation about Céline Dion’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Cantonal Court of Zug is holding a preliminary hearing today to assess the admissibility of a particular claim: residents of an Indonesian island are seeking compensation from Swiss cement giant Holcim because rising sea levels caused by global warming are threatening their existence.
Four residents of the island of Pulau Pari in the Java Sea are demanding that the Swiss group compensate them for the damage caused by rising sea levels. The island has already lost 11% of its territory in 11 years and could be submerged by 2050.
This is the first climate complaint against a major cement company. Cement is a highly polluting industry, responsible for around 8% of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere each year, far more than aviation. Holcim is contesting the admissibility of the complaint by a court in Zug.
The Holcim case could set a precedent for similar litigation in Switzerland and around the world. “We are victims of the climate. We want to fight for our rights,” says Ibu Asmania, one of the plaintiffs who travelled to Zug to attend this historic first hearing.
Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un met in Beijing today for a major military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Former government minister Ueli Maurer was also present.
Opening the parade, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that China was “unstoppable”. “Today, humanity once again faces a choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation,” he said to an audience of some 20 foreign leaders.
No leading Western leaders were in the audience. Only Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, an ally of Vladimir Putin within the EU, had made the trip.
According to Blick, the fact that China was appearing alongside two leaders regarded in the West as aggressors in the war in Ukraine made the event look like a geopolitical showcase. For Le Temps, Beijing is rewriting the history of the Second World War by playing down the role of the West and the United States, believing that China’s victory would have been possible without Washington’s help.
The shoe brand On is the subject of a preliminary investigation by the Chinese authorities because of the Swiss cross it affixes to its models. This follows interference by the Swiss supervisory authorities, reports Blick.
For years, the association Swiss Enforcement, which brings together representatives of the political and the business world and monitors compliance with “Swissness”, has believed that the On brand is taking unfair advantage of the “Swiss made” bonus, even though more than 60% of its production is carried out outside Switzerland, where it is headquartered. So far, no agreement has been reached.
However, the conflict is likely to escalate, as the Swiss supervisory authorities have reported On to their Chinese counterparts. They will be investigating “under what conditions Chinese law permits the use of the Swiss cross on products that are not manufactured in Switzerland”. Some fear that this will prompt them to extend surveillance to other Swiss brands.
“The action taken by Swiss Enforcement and the Institute of Intellectual Property in China is a unique case. A Swiss company has been denounced abroad by a private association with the support of a federal authority,” On said. A meeting between the protagonists is scheduled for Wednesday.
The speculation is over: Céline Dion reveals in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien why she didn’t perform during the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in May.
On the day of the final, the Canadian star was indeed in Basel. She was set to perform “Ne partez pas sans moi”, the song with which she won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988.
Shortly before the show, however, when she was already in the hall, Dion suffered a seizure and had to cancel her performance. Without being able to perform, she took her jet back to Las Vegas the same evening.
Since she was diagnosed in 2022 with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological condition that severely limits her ability to sing and move, Dion’s public appearances have been few and far between.
Translated from French by DeepL/ts
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