Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Whether it’s the dramatic drop in the birth rate in Switzerland or issues surrounding the electricity supply, the Swiss press is sounding rather worried on Monday.
Today we also look at the results of the Jura government elections at the weekend and the continuation - and certainly not the end - of trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump.
Enjoy the read!
Voters in canton Jura elected a new government this weekend: three Social Democrats and two from the Centre Party. The Swiss press say the elections stand out for three reasons.
First, the elections were a success for parties on the left, which have a majority in government for the first time since the creation of the canton. On the other hand, it was a clear failure for the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which did not win a seat. It now remains to be seen how the left-wing Jura government will work with a majority right-wing parliament.
Another “historic” result was the election of Social Democrat Valentin Zuber from the town of Moutier. This was the first time that Moutier, which will officially pass from canton Bern to Jura on January 1, took part in Jura elections.
Finally, Martial Courtet failed to secure a “miracle”. After ten years in government, the former Centre minister was dropped by his party following controversy over alleged “authoritarian” management of his department. Returning as an independent candidate, he created a surprise by passing the first round but failed in the second.
Are the Swiss slowly disappearing? This may seem a strange, far-fetched question, but figures released on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show that fertility rates have fallen drastically.
The average number of children per woman in Switzerland was 1.29 in 2024, compared with 2.04 in 1971. This is the lowest level since records began, the FSO points out. On average, foreign women (1.5) have more children than Swiss women (1.2), but the gap between the two groups is narrowing.
Births of a third child fell the most (-13.6%) between 2019 and 2024. First and second births fell by 8.5% and 9%, respectively. The statistics also show that women are having their first child much later, at an average age of 31.3.
Although most young parents would like two children, overall the desire to have children is declining. The proportion of 20–29-year-olds who do not want children rose from 6% in 2013 to 17% in 2023. Among 30–39-year-olds, this number increased from 9% to 16%.
Politicians and business leaders are worried about Switzerland’s electricity supply. In the Sunday press, Energy Minister Albert Rösti warned that the country would not be able to guarantee its winter electricity supply without resorting to nuclear power.
According to the Swiss minister, renewable energies are progressing too slowly to cover needs, and the risk of a shortage remains real. To avoid a blackout, he wants to speed up procedures relating to renewable infrastructure, while preparing the ground for a return to nuclear power.
Rösti supports a counter-proposal to the “Stop the blackout” initiative, which aims to re-open the way for the construction of new nuclear power plants. This position marks a departure from Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050, adopted after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, which foresees a gradual phase-out of nuclear power in Switzerland.
He is not alone in his concerns. In an interview in La Liberté, Alain Sapin, director of Groupe E (an energy production company in French-speaking Switzerland), declares that the growing use of renewable energies coupled with the abandonment of nuclear power “is leading to an increase in risks”.
It is said that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. This saying seems particularly true with Donald Trump. The media now know a little more about the gifts that a delegation of Swiss business leaders gave to the US President during recent tariff talks.
As we reported last week, a delegation of five of Switzerland’s leading business leaders was received by Trump in the White House last Tuesday. The purpose of the meeting was to try to persuade the American president to reduce the 39% tax imposed on Swiss products imported into the US.
According to the German-language Sunday press, the Swiss bosses proposed investing in American pharmaceuticals and infrastructure and relocating gold smelters to the US. And in keeping with the old principle that small gifts keep friendships alive, they also gave the American president a Rolex watch and a signed gold bar.
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