Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Alongside the grief for those killed and injured in the New Year’s Eve fire in Crans-Montana, controversy is growing.
Criticism is mounting against the Valais municipality and the cantonal public prosecutor leading the investigation.
We also look at why the pressing issue of Swiss arms exports could end up at the ballot box, and we close on a water-cooler topic: the cold snap.
Happy reading,
The municipal officials of Crans-Montana, where 40 people died in a bar fire on New Year’s Eve, are facing harsh criticism in much of the Swiss press following yesterday’s media conference.
The Blick described the authorities’ communication as “a fiasco”, notably because municipal officials admitted that no fire-safety inspections were carried out between 2020 and 2025. “We cannot explain this,” said mayor Nicolas Féraud.
Romain Jordan, the lawyer representing many victims’ families, told Le Temps that the municipality neither apologised nor refrained from seeking civil-party status in the criminal proceedings. Such a move, he said, risks “depriving the real victims of this tragedy of their status – which is unacceptable”. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) highlighted what it called an unfortunate remark by the mayor, who said the municipality had been “affected by the disaster more than others – more than anyone else, I think”.
The Zurich paper adds that the failure to carry out checks points to possible systemic shortcomings and raises questions about the supervisory role of cantonal authorities in Valais.
Criticism is not limited to the municipality. The actions of the Valais public prosecutor’s office are also under scrutiny. Meanwhile, the two bar owners under investigation have commented publicly for the first time.
The lawyer for the victims’ families Romain Jordan criticised the fact that the municipality of Crans-Montana is not itself under investigation and that its premises have not been searched. He also said he was “shocked” that lawyers were excluded from investigative hearings. Cantonal attorney general Beatrice Pilloud justified this step as being “in the interest of speed and to avoid leaks, given the media attention”. Criminal law expert Alain Macaluso of the University of Lausanne warned, however, that hearings conducted in this way could later have to be repeated in full.
Another point of contention is the decision not to remand the two bar owners – a couple who run Le Constellation – in custody.
Pilloud said that a detention was not necessary because there was no risk of flight. Macaluso countered that a short provisional arrest of 24 to 48 hours could have helped secure evidence and prevent its concealment. “In such cases, the homes and premises of those involved should be searched immediately, as well as the offices of the municipality,” he says.
In a written statement, the two owners said they were devastated by the tragedy, thanked emergency services, pledged full cooperation with investigators and said they would not comment further outside court proceedings.
Swiss voters may soon be asked to decide on a relaxation of the rules governing the export of Swiss war materiel, approved by parliament last month. An alliance of the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party, the Evangelical People’s Party and several NGOs has launched a referendum.
Under the revised law criticised by the alliance, a group of 25 Western countries would be able to purchase Swiss armaments more freely, even if involved in an armed conflict. Only countries that seriously and systematically violate human rights would be excluded.
Re-export rules would also be eased. In principle, buyer states could pass on Swiss weapons to third parties, although the federal government would retain the right to impose guarantees if neutrality, foreign policy or security interests were at stake.
Referendum supporters argue that the sole purpose of the reform is profit at the expense of Swiss neutrality. The centre-right parties that backed the change in parliament cite security concerns and say a stronger arms industry is essential for Switzerland’s defence.
The polar cold gripping Switzerland has also grabbed headlines – from its impact on rail traffic to record-low temperatures and even some unexpected benefits.
The coldest night was between Monday and Tuesday. On the Swiss plateau, temperatures fell to around -10°C at dawn on Epiphany, caused by polar air currents. In Le Chaux-de-Fonds a low of -15°C was recorded on Wednesday morning, a more bearable situation than in the Brévine, known as the “Swiss Siberia”, where the mercury dropped to -30°C on January 5.
Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported on how the Swiss Federal Railways is coping, with some 7,500 track heaters running at full capacity. Even so, early-morning train services have at times been delayed by frost.
On RTS, climatologist Martine Rebetez of the University of Neuchâtel noted that cold spells can help oxygenate lakes, reduce certain pests and may even make the human body less vulnerable to viruses. Winter illnesses, she added, are also linked to overly dry indoor air caused by excessive heating.
Translated from Italian using DeepL/amva
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
