Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Humanitarian aid for Gaza leads today’s selection – from funds raised by Swiss Solidarity to the reception in Switzerland of injured Palestinian children. The latter has sparked what some are calling a “Gaza Graben” – a play on the German word "Röstigraben", Switzerland’s linguistic divide.
We also look at the latest figures on reading difficulties in Switzerland, the future of the evacuated mountain village of Brienz, and a new PostBus project testing self-driving taxis.
Greetings from Bern,
Wednesday’s national fundraising day for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip saw Swiss Solidarity raise over CHF4.5 million ($5.65 million).
The event, organised with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Swissinfo’s parent company, will support partner relief organisations delivering emergency aid to thousands of people in the Gaza Strip, the organisation writes.
Also in today’s headlines, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis announced that Switzerland will release CHF2 million for humanitarian aid in Gaza. The announcement followed a meeting in Amman with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
However, divisions are emerging among Swiss cantons over the reception of 20 severely injured Palestinian children from Gaza. The federal initiative would see each child accompanied by up to four relatives.
French-speaking cantons, along with Ticino, have agreed to host them, while several German-speaking cantons, including Bern, Aargau, Zug and Thurgau, have refused, citing security and funding concerns. Zurich, home to one of Europe’s leading paediatric hospitals, has yet to decide.
Around 15% of Switzerland’s population aged 16 to 65, or about 844,000 people, have difficulties with reading and basic maths, according to new data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The report also highlights how these challenges affect social and professional life.
Employment is one area of impact: while 83% of the total population is employed, only 71% of those with poor literacy and numeracy skills hold jobs. Four out of five belong to the lowest 40% of income earners.
The differences extend beyond the workplace. Among people with reading or maths difficulties, only 75% say they are satisfied with their lives, compared with 86% of the general population. Perceptions of health also differ sharply: 55% of the total population rate their health as “very good”, compared with just 38% of those with limited literacy or numeracy skills.
More people than expected have requested permanent relocation from Brienz, the Graubünden mountain village that was evacuated in November 2024 due to landslide dangers.
By the September 30 deadline, authorities had received 40 relocation applications covering 95 flats in 45 buildings, most of which are second or holiday homes. About 35 residents intend to move permanently. The federal government and canton Graubünden will cover 90% of relocation costs.
Before the evacuation, Brienz had around 90 inhabitants. Since then, 30 people have left and two have died. Under the Federal Forestry Act, abandoned houses must be demolished, though historic buildings may be exempt.
Mayor Daniel Albertin said the municipality hopes to preserve “a liveable village” for those remaining. A final decision on Brienz’s future is expected next spring at the earliest.
PostBus is venturing into autonomous transport with AmiGo, a self-driving taxi service developed in partnership with Chinese tech company Baidu. The project aims to improve mobility in rural areas with limited public transport options.
Supported by the federal government and the cantons of St Gallen, Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Appenzell Inner Rhodes and Thurgau, the project will begin testing in December using Apollo Go Robotaxi vehicles – a Baidu subsidiary specialising in autonomous mobility.
Initial trials will take place without passengers and with a safety driver on board. The service is expected to open to the public in the first half of 2027, offering bookings for one of 25 electric driverless cars via an app.
According to PostBus, AmiGo will become the largest autonomous vehicle service in Europe.
Translated from Italian using DeepL/amva/sb
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