Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The Swiss franc has a reputation as a strong currency and a safe haven. This Wednesday's news shows that this is truer than ever.
From culture to currency, our selection covers a wide range: films, news and the latest decisions by the Swiss federal government.
Enjoy your reading,
The Cinémathèque suisse, the national film archive, has appointed Vinzenz Hediger as its new director. A professor of film studies and former film critic, he will take up the post on January 1, succeeding Frédéric Maire, who retired last month.
Hediger, 56, has taught at several universities in Europe and the United States. In its statement, the Cinémathèque’s Board of Trustees said he has led major interdisciplinary research projects on cinema and archives. He is currently Professor of Film Studies at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main.
Selected from 40 candidates, Hediger becomes the institution’s fifth director. His task will be to “lead it into a new phase of development, combining public outreach, preservation of collections and strategic management”.
Founded in 1948, the Cinémathèque suisse has three sites – Zurich, Lausanne and the Research and Archive Centre in Penthaz, canton Vaud, opened in 2019. It preserves, restores and promotes Swiss and international film heritage, with a film collection of over ten million items, one of the largest in the world.
If you have Swiss francs tucked away and are planning a trip to Europe, now might be the perfect time to exchange them for euros. On Tuesday, €1 fell to CHF0.9210 ($1.16), its lowest level ever.
The Swiss franc’s surge reflects its traditional role as a safe-haven currency. Political and economic uncertainty has prompted investors to move assets into perceived safe zones. The Financial Times has reported a sharp outflow of capital from France to Switzerland and Luxembourg, a trend that began when French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly in June 2024, and it has accelerated since.
For the Swiss economy, this appreciation of the franc is a double-edged sword. Cheaper imports benefit households, but exporters suffer as Swiss products become more expensive abroad.
Exporters also face headwinds from the 39% US tariffs imposed in August. Despite a rebound in September, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security reported that Swiss exports to the United States fell by 8.2% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter.
For years Switzerland has had to deal with organised gangs from abroad attacking ATM cash machines dotted across the country. But another trend is now worrying the authorities: coordinated robberies of gun shops. In recent weeks, incidents have been reported in several regions.
In German-speaking Switzerland, cantons Basel Country and Aargau were hit particularly hard between 2020 and 2021. After a brief lull, new burglaries have occurred in Vaud – with a successful break-in in Renens and an attempt in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne – as well as in cantons Valais and St Gallen.
The modus operandi is often the same: violent and rapid nighttime attacks using ram cars, before fleeing across the border. According to the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), the identified groups often come from regions around Lyon, Annemasse, Grenoble, Montbéliard and Saint-Étienne in France. Some are also believed to be involved in drug trafficking.
The suspects are increasingly young, recruited via social media by criminal networks. In the failed burglary in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, police arrested nine suspects – one from Vaud and eight French nationals aged 19 to 22.
At its weekly meeting on Wednesday, the Federal Council announced new steps to strengthen support for victims of domestic and sexual violence. It plans to improve forensic services and expand accommodation options, citing a “worrying increase” in such cases.
The government decided that people granted asylum in Switzerland will no longer be allowed to travel abroad, except in exceptional circumstances. The restriction does not apply to Ukrainians with S protection status. The Federal Council also pledged to simplify procedures to help people with S status enter the labour market.
Finally, the government reaffirmed the long-standing Swiss principle that every resident must have access to protective shelters in the event of war or disaster. “Given the changes in the overall security situation, protective structures remain of crucial importance,” Swiss authorities said.
Translated from French using DeepL/amva
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