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Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Today your briefing has one main topic: security in Switzerland. The keywords are left-wing extremism, Palestinian protests and Patriot air defence.
But first, the story of a Swiss woman who returned home with her Thai husband to raise their children, and the challenges they faced.
I wish you a good start to the week.
Ten years ago, Nicole, then 30, emigrated to Malaysia. She met her future husband Thanat, from Bangkok, while on holiday in Thailand. They decided their two children should be educated in Switzerland. It was not easy.
Ten years ago, Nicole, then 30, emigrated to Malaysia. She met her future husband Thanat, from Bangkok, while on holiday in Thailand. They decided their two children should be educated in Switzerland. It was not easy.
“It wasn’t love at first sight, but the feeling of coming home,” Nicole told 20 Minuten. At first, the relationship was long-distance. They married in 2017 and lived in Thailand.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, they realised the children’s prospects would be better in Switzerland. They moved in September 2021. “The beginning was brutal: eight years of summer were followed by cold and winter,” Nicole says.
The move strained their relationship. Nicole found a more flexible job, enabling Thanat to manage the household. The situation eased, a step that now neither regrets. Nicole adds: “We’ll stick it out until the children are grown up. And then Thanat and I will go back to Thailand. We already know that now.”
The supervisory authority has criticised the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) for applying a double standard: being overzealous in its handling of opponents of Covid-19 measures, while too cautious with violent left-wing extremists.
Two audit reports by the supervisory authority revealed serious shortcomings at the FIS. For example, the FIS unlawfully stored data on opponents of the Covid-19 pandemic measures, which should have been deleted after one year. Despite the deletion, this case highlights the problems with data processing.
At the same time, there are deficits in the defence against left-wing extremist violence. Co-operation with the cantons has deteriorated and, according to the supervisory authority, the FIS is partially forgoing possible means for security reasons. The report states that this leads to excessive caution and jeopardises the ability to adequately assess the left-wing extremist scene.
The FIS has acknowledged the problems and strengthened its resources in this area, according to SRF News. But the supervisory authority warns that the service needs more staff and funding to meet future threats.
On Friday evening Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis was welcomed by protesters at an event in Bellinzona. The demonstration against Switzerland’s stance on the Gaza conflict lasted until late in the evening and ended with Cassis having to leave the venue under police protection.
For 90 minutes, the demonstrators blocked the foreign minister at the Teatro Sociale in Bellinzona, where he had appeared at an event on the bilateral agreements. The 200 or so protesters, organised by the Coordination Committee in Support of Palestine (CUSP), accused the Swiss federal government of failing to act in the face of the Gaza conflict. The protesters chanted slogans against Switzerland’s “complicity” and demanded clearer statements.
Cassis said he understood the outrage but stressed that Switzerland’s influence is limited, noting that only the United States can end the war. He was eventually escorted out of the building under police protection.
Switzerland has suspended a scheduled payment to the United States for Patriot air defence systems, citing delivery delays. Washington is prioritising Ukraine and has not provided a binding timetable.
The Swiss Armed Forces already face procurement problems. Costs for the new F-35 fighter jets have risen, while deliveries of Israeli drones and US Patriots are delayed. As the news platform Watson notes, in the event of an attack, only about 8% of Swiss airspace would be adequately protected.
Because no delivery date has been confirmed, the Swiss defence ministry halted a partial payment due in September. Armasuisse confirmed the suspension, saying Switzerland first wants clarity. Talks with US officials are planned for October.
The government has already advanced CHF700 million ($882 million) of the CHF2 billion contract. Deliveries had been scheduled for 2026, with completion by 2028, but these dates are now uncertain.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva/ts
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