Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
For the second time in just a few months, a member of the Swiss government has been confronted by angry demonstrators – this time it is Defence Minister Martin Pfister. Also a group of billionaires with close ties to Switzerland has reportedly met with Donald Trump – seemingly with more access than government officials.
Meanwhile, a wave of “home jacking” burglaries is worrying residents in western Switzerland.
It’s been another eventful week in our small Alpine country.
Enjoy the briefing.
More details have emerged about the meeting between Swiss business leaders and US President Donald Trump earlier this week – and the amount of wealthy people gathered in the Oval Office was striking.
According to several media reports, the delegation – informally referred to as “Team Switzerland” – discussed trade relations with the US President in Washington on Tuesday. We reported on the news in yesterday’s briefing, and now we also know who was in the Oval Office.
Those present included Alfred Gantner, co-founder of Partners Group, whose fortune is estimated at more than $3 billion (CHF2.4 billion); Diego Aponte, head of the Geneva-based shipping giant MSC, whose family wealth is estimated at $33 billion; and Johann Rupert, chair of the luxury group Richemont, worth about $15.3 billion.
Trump confidant Jean-Frédéric Dufour, CEO of Rolex, and Marwan Shakarchi, head of Geneva-based gold refiner MKS Pamp Group, were also in attendance. Shakarchi’s company processes gold worth around CHF22 billion ($27 billion) annually. The delegation also included Daniel Jäggi, commodities trader at Mercuria in Geneva, with an estimated fortune exceeding $2 billion.
Observers note that the influence of these figures, particularly Jäggi, extends beyond finance – touching on commodities trading and gold refining.
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court began deliberations on whether Trump acted within his powers when imposing new tariffs. A ruling is expected by December.
Defence Minister Martin Pfister was met with loud protests during a speech at the University of Geneva on Wednesday evening.
Around 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted slogans and delayed his appearance by nearly half an hour. According to the Keystone-SDA news agency, the reason for the disturbance was the decision of the Swiss federal ministry decision to proceed with the purchase of Israeli-made ADS-15 surveillance drone systems.
Protesters shouted “No collaborators in our uniforms” and “Israel terrorist, Pfister accomplice” before police in riot gear intervened. Pfister briefly left the room for around 25 minutes before resuming his presentation, which focused on the government’s package of agreements with the European Union.. The demonstrators calmed down after a police contingent arrived on site in riot gear.
Similar scenes unfolded on September 19 when Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis was escorted from a venue in Bellinzona after being surrounded by demonstrators.
Yodelling is already an integral part of Swiss cultural identity – and now the government wants UNESCO to add it to the list of intangible world heritage.
The Swiss government wants the UN to include yodelling on the UNESCO list of intangible world cultural heritage. A decision on this is expected by the end of the year.
Each year, UNESCO recognises around 60 cultural traditions worldwide. Switzerland’s bid to include yodelling stems from an initiative by the Swiss Yodelling Association. Julien Vuilleumier of the Federal Office of Culture, who is leading the application, explained to the Tamedia newspapers that opinions differ on yodelling’s origins.
Vuilleumier says of the origins of Swiss yodelling: “Some say it was a means of communication between valleys using distinctive sounds that carried over long distances,” he said. “Others see it as a form of singing.” What is certain, he added, is that “yodelling has evolved continuously – and remains alive and vibrant today.”
Burglaries are on the rise in western Switzerland – and a worrying new trend has emerged: “home jacking”, or break-ins that occur while residents are at home.
According to Swiss public broadcaster RTS, the increase is particularly noticeable in cantons bordering France. While the national average is three burglaries per 1,000 households, rates are higher in Neuchâtel (3.6), Jura and the two Basels (4.1), Vaud (5.4) and especially Geneva (8.5). Fear is spreading in affluent municipalities on the left bank of Lake Geneva.
“This form of burglary is considered particularly brutal, and victims often struggle with trauma for years,” RTS reports. Édouard Cuendet, a local councillor in Cologny, warned: “Physical security is part of Switzerland’s DNA. If we lose that advantage, people will move away.”
Translated from German using DeepL/amva
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