Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
For those of you living in Mexico, these must be tense days. Following the killing of a powerful drug lord in a military operation, unrest and violence have shaken parts of the country.
And today marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What role has Switzerland played? And how successful has the integration of Ukrainian refugees been? The Swiss media take stock.
Best wishes from Bern,
On Sunday, the Mexican military tracked down one of the country’s most wanted drug lords, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, and fatally wounded him during the operation. Since then, parts of Mexico have seen serious unrest. For the Swiss Abroad in Guadalajara, this meant hours of uncertainty amid burning barricades and online misinformation.
After the killing, Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco descended into chaos. Swiss Abroad, Zarina Garcia-Camou described how streets emptied and the atmosphere quickly became tense. Burning roadblocks paralysed daily life for more than 24 hours.
Disinformation circulating online added to the anxiety. Raymond Domon told our freelancer Flurina Dünki that fake AI-generated videos showed aircraft supposedly burning at the airport. Such images fuelled panic and made it harder to assess the real level of danger.
Even those who have lived in Mexcio for many years felt overwhelmed. “There are some things you never get used to,” said Valentina Krucker, who stayed indoors with her young son for 24-hours.
Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Swiss media are taking stock. The picture is mixed: Strong solidarity on the one hand, persistent challenges on the other.
Four years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, just over a third of working-age Ukrainians who have sought refuge in Switzerland are currently employed. According to CH Media newspapers, the differences between cantons are striking: In Appenzell Inner Rhodes, around 70% have found work, compared with less than 18% in Geneva.
The federal government has so far committed more than CHF6 billion ($7.75 billion) in support related to Ukraine. Around 80% of this amount has been spent in Switzerland, primarily on assistance for refugees. Further billions are planned for reconstruction in the longer term.
Last week, representatives of Russia and Ukraine met again for talks in Geneva. However, progress remains elusive. Tamedia newspapers write that Moscow is “continuing unperturbed, building up pressure and threatening – but bluffing”. Russia, they argue, has manoeuvred itself into a war of attrition, and even this power has its limits.
Interlaken is losing part of its industrial heritage. Swiss pharmaceutical group Galenica is closing production at its subsidiary Bichsel, putting up to 170 jobs at risk. A consultation process has begun. If layoffs cannot be avoided, a social plan will be implemented.
Going forward, Bichsel will focus exclusively on home-care services and discontinue drug manufacturing. The shift reflects a broader trend: In Switzerland, providing care at home is increasingly more profitable than producing medicines.
In addition to the closure of production operations, Galenica examined several options before deciding to close the site. The move will result in one-off costs of up to CHF40 million ($51.67 million), while annual profits are expected to rise by only around CHF3 million. The fact that a group is prepared to swallow such high write-offs for such an improvement in returns illustrates the enormous cost pressure on Swiss sites.
The local townscape is also changing: The long-standing “Grosse Apotheke Dr. G. Bichsel” will be renamed “Amavita Apotheke Bichsel Interlaken” on March 1, 2026, as reported by Blick. For the region, it marks not only the potential loss of 170 jobs but also the disappearance of an independent brand that has belonged to Galenica since 2019.
Yodelling has been recognised as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage since 2025. But in Zurich, the idea of establishing it as an academic subject has failed decisively in the cantonal government where the proposal only received a single vote in favour.
Despite its World Heritage status, yodelling remains a hobby in Zurich. The initiative to introduce yodelling as a subject of study was shipwrecked in Zurich’s cantonal government yesterday. It needed 60 votes to be accepted, but only one vote in favour was cast. The initiative was submitted by Stefan Basler, president of the Swiss People’s Party in Bülach and himself an active yodeller.
Lawmakers argued that additional public funding was unnecessary, as a degree programme already exists in Lucerne. Zurich does not wish to compete. The Lucerne programme has been running since 2018, and its first master’s graduate completed their studies in 2025.
The issue remains: Yodelling clubs are shrinking and qualified conductors are in short supply. Across the political spectrum, parliamentarians stressed the cultural importance of yodelling – but rejected the idea of creating a publicly funded main subject in Zurich.
Translated using AI/amva
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