Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
From January 19, a record number of heads of state and top executives will gather in the mountain resort of Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. An analysis by Greenpeace shows that a growing number of them are travelling by private jet, particularly within Europe.
In today’s briefing, we also look at why purchasing power in Switzerland is declining despite rising prosperity, and how a Swiss meme has made its way into a card game.
Good reading!
From Monday, a record number of heads of state and senior business executives will travel to the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, with a growing share arriving by private jet.
According to a study by Greenpeace, the number of private flights registered at airports close to Davos has been rising. The number of additional private flights soared by 10% last year compared to 2024. Most of the flights were within Europe, and around 70% of them could be completed within a single day by train. France accounts for the largest share of people arriving (20%), followed by the UK (13%) and Germany (12%).
“The WEF claims to seek solutions to global problems, yet the rich and powerful are fuelling the climate crisis with their luxury emissions – the greatest threat to our future,” Greenpeace spokesperson Lena Donat told the online site Watson.
CH Media newspapers also reported on the 5,000 Swiss soldiers set to be deployed for the WEF gathering. In recent days, some received what appeared to be a mobilisation order by text message, including a link to further information. Clicking on the link revealed it to be a phishing test conducted by the armed forces’ Cyber Command. How many soldiers clicked on the link has not yet been evaluated.
“We have observed that members of the armed forces are already highly aware of cyber threats,” Cyber Command spokesperson Lorena Castelberg told CH Media. “But regular training remains essential, as attack methods are constantly evolving, including through the use of AI.”
Following the bar fire disaster in Crans-Montana, the families of the 40 people killed and 116 seriously injured will each receive CHF10,000 ($12,463) in emergency aid from canton Valais, the cantonal government decided on January 14.
The aim is to support those affected with as little administrative effort as possible. The Swiss federal government has also pledged its support. “No one should fall through the gaps of existing aid programmes,” it wrote in a press release.
According to the federal government, victims and their relatives are already entitled to immediate assistance from cantonal victim support centres under the Victim Assistance Act, for example to cover medical transport costs or health insurance deductibles. Foreign nationals are also eligible under this framework. However, it remains unclear whether the current insurance and victim assistance systems are sufficient for a disaster of this scale. The cantonal government therefore plans to seek additional funding from parliament if needed.
How and under what conditions federal financial resources could be deployed is expected to be clarified by the end of February 2026.
Although the Swiss have become more prosperous, not everyone feels better off. Recent developments have affected households differently, depending on income level and personal circumstances.
Data from the Federal Statistical Office paint a clear long-term picture: across generations, inflation-adjusted incomes have risen steadily, with each cohort earning more than the previous one at the same age.
So why does it feel like a step backwards? According to the Tages-Anzeiger, the turning point lies in the period since the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in the post-war era, real wages have fallen for three consecutive years. But the deeper issue lies on the spending side. Rising health insurance premiums, for example, place a disproportionate burden on low-income households.
Researchers at the University of Bern have calculated that households in the lowest-income decile spend around 82% of their earnings on basic needs such as housing, healthcare and everyday goods.
Beyond the figures, perception also matters, the Tages-Anzeiger notes. Expectations tend to grow with prosperity: more living space per person, higher standards and leisure activities that increasingly come with higher price tags.
“Richi, I ha gseit, du söusch di guet häbe!” (Richi, I told you to hold on tight!) Many German-speaking readers in Switzerland will recognise the phrase. Now, two students have turned the well-known Swiss meme into a card game.
For our French-, Italian- and English-speaking readers: the line comes from the Swiss public broadcaster SRF’s documentary series “Auf und davon”, which follows Swiss families abroad. Sixteen years ago, the Schönbächler family featured in the programme. What began as an innocent moment with the son, Richi, wanting to climb down from an excavator while his father Hermann tried to help, became a piece of Swiss-German pop culture when Richi slipped and his father shouted the now-famous line: “Richi, I told you to hold on tight!”
After the band Stubete Gäng turned the moment into a song, two students from Basel have now followed suit. In mid-December, Leon Schüep and Florens Moor launched their card game Richi. The aim of the game: to prevent Richi from falling off the excavator.
The game is meant for everyone, the developers told bzBasel. Success requires a mix of tactical thinking and luck. Hermann and Richi Schönbächler are not yet aware of it, but Schüep and Moor say they plan to contact them. Or perhaps they will read about it in today’s briefing?
Translated using AI/amva/sb
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