Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Once again today, the world’s attention was on Davos and the World Economic Forum. After Donald Trump made headlines at home and abroad with his speech yesterday, he followed up today by unveiling his controversial “Peace Council”.
Switzerland and most European countries are not among the signatories. Much remains unclear, said Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis today, as he gave the media an initial assessment of his meetings and impressions at the WEF.
Good reading!
This morning, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis took stock of his encounters and impressions at the World Economic Forum in Davos – and spoke in clear terms.
“The world is so uncertain that there is an enormous need for more dialogue,” Cassis told the media. He described a “struggle for meaning” at the WEF, while stressing that much remains unclear. For Cassis, this is his ninth WEF – and he said it feels like a completely new world. “Nothing is definite, which is incredibly difficult for Switzerland.”
Cassis also commented on Trump’s speech at the WEF yesterday and his remarks about Switzerland and former Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter. “It is unacceptable to be treated like that,” he said. Although Switzerland was not the only country targeted, he added that this was little consolation. The Federal Council has raised the issue with those responsible.
Trump himself formally launched his “Peace Council” in Davos today. Aside from Hungary, Bulgaria and Kosovo, no European countries are among the initial signatories. Critics view the body as an attack on the United Nations. For Cassis, many aspects of the initiative remain unclear. Originally, the Council was part of a peace plan for Gaza, which Switzerland continues to support, he told the media. However, this link is not reflected in the written documents, which suggest the initiative could have a far broader scope. The Swiss government will now examine the matter, Cassis said.
The arrival of Volodymyr Zelensky at the WEF also drew considerable attention today. After a meeting with Trump, the US president told reporters that his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin was that the war in Ukraine must end.
Once again, the procurement of American-made F-35 fighter jets is raising red flags. This time, however, the criticism is not aimed at the aircraft itself, but at the infrastructure required to operate it.
According to the defence ministry, the first F-35 is scheduled to be delivered to Switzerland in mid-2027. To deploy the aircraft, new infrastructure will be needed, including hangars and simulator facilities for pilot training. The conversion of the three military airfields must therefore be completed on time – something the Swiss Federal Audit Office (FAO) is now questioning.
Construction work at Payerne airbase, for example, began six months late. At the other two bases, Meiringen and Emmen, delays already amount to around a year. Reassurance comes from the Federal Armaments Office, Armasuisse: construction projects and aircraft commissioning are being coordinated, said Marcel Adam, head of the real estate division responsible for the projects.
There is also criticism over costs. Parliament approved a credit of CHF120 million ($151.5 million) in 2022, but the conversion projects are now expected to cost around CHF200 million. The defence ministry explains that the original estimate was made three years before the F-35 was selected and therefore without detailed knowledge of operational and maintenance requirements. A supplementary credit will be required and is expected to be submitted this year.
After more than a year, residents of Brienz are being allowed back into their homes. The entry ban and evacuation have been lifted, the municipality of Albula announced today.
The mountain village in canton Graubünden had been threatened by rockfall for months. Last November, parts of the Plateau Ost broke off and thundered into the valley, pushing debris ahead of them. Since then, however, the mountain has stabilised and the situation is no longer considered dangerous, according to data analysed by a team of geologists.
The return will take place in two phases. From Friday night, the so-called orange phase applies, allowing residents to stay overnight in the village again for the first time. On Monday, the green phase begins, lifting the entry ban entirely – including for visitors. According to the municipal bulletin, agricultural land may again be cultivated freely, and the PostBus connection between Lenzerheide and Davos will once more run via Brienz from Monday.
Initial reactions are already coming in. “People are really looking forward to returning,” Christian Gartmann from the Albula Alvra municipal management team told Swiss public broadcaster, SRF. It remains to be seen how many residents will return on Monday and how many will settle back in Brienz permanently.
More and more Swiss pensioners are emigrating after retirement – a decision that can also bring administrative challenges, particularly in the event of death.
According to Blick, the Swiss foreign ministry provided assistance in 321 such cases in 2024 – a record. One reason is demographic change: older people are more mobile, travel more and are therefore more frequently exposed to medical emergencies abroad.
Almost half of the Swiss pensioners who died abroad were living in Thailand, the foreign ministry said. “The Swiss foreign ministry provides support in locating relatives so that they can take care of the funeral and the administrative steps involved in settling the estate.”
Who pays for this assistance? If Swiss nationals die in their country of residence abroad, the local authorities there are generally responsible, Blick writes. If the Swiss foreign ministry nevertheless has to step in to provide support, the costs are charged. If death occurs outside the country of residence, for example while travelling, assistance is provided free of charge.
Support is not limited to cases of death. If Swiss nationals abroad fall seriously ill, develop dementia or lose their capacity for judgement, they may lack sufficient support in their country of residence. In such cases, Swiss representations step in and provide organisational assistance, for example for re-registration in Switzerland.
Translated using AI/amva
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