The week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
“Travel abroad at your own risk” – that’s the message from the Swiss foreign ministry, which is faced with nearly 5,000 Swiss citizens stuck in the Middle East. Government assistance will be provided only as a last resort, it says, pointing out that the risk of escalation had been known for weeks. This stance is not going down well with some stranded tourists.
An immediate consequence of the US-Israeli attack on Iran last weekend and the resulting escalation of violence in the Middle East is uncertainty and worry for thousands of Swiss citizens in the region.
How serious is the threat? Should we try to leave? Is leaving even possible? These are some of the questions Swiss expats and tourists have been asking themselves since the United States and Israel started bombing Iran, which retaliated by firing missiles at neighbouring countries.
The Swiss foreign ministry is calling on Swiss nationals to follow the instructions issued by local authorities, to observe safety measures and to update their contact details via the online portal. For emergencies, a 24-hour helpline is available in Bern (link below).
“Every citizen has a responsibility to stay informed before travelling,” Marianne Jenni, director general of the consular directorate of the foreign ministry, told Swiss public radio RTS on Wednesday. She strongly advised against attempting to leave the area by land. “It would mean crossing borders, sometimes obtaining visas” – and once they arrive at their destination, they still have to find accommodation and flights, she said. “It’s just shifting the problem elsewhere.”
On Thursday Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) flew 211 passengers from Muscat, Oman, to Zurich on a special repatriation flight.
On Monday Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin headed to Brussels to sign a package of accords with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“This is an important day for the European Union and for Switzerland”, von der Leyen said before the signing of the agreements.
“From the [Swiss government’s] point of view, these agreements constitute a balanced, pragmatic and mutually beneficial package that will drive prosperity, employment and stability,” said Parmelin, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, during a joint press conference. “They benefit our citizens, our economies and our societies as a whole.”
No fewer than 18 texts were initialled by the two officials, following lengthy negotiations that began in 2014 but were interrupted in 2021 and then resumed two years ago. Discussions held between 2014 and 2021 were meant to lead to one institutional framework agreement, but those talks failed when Switzerland walked out of talks.
The agreements signed on Monday cover, among other things, the free movement of people, trade and transport.
Whether the agreements become reality depends above all on Switzerland, the Tages-Anzeiger wrote on Monday. “In the EU, the only thing missing is parliamentary approval, and nobody doubts that this will be given. In Switzerland, it’s not only the House of Representatives and the Senate that have to say yes, but ultimately also the people.”
The Zurich paper pointed out that the first hurdle was already in place in the form of the “No to ten million Switzerland” initiative on which voters will decide in June. “A yes would put Switzerland on a collision course with the EU’s free movement of people – a core component of the old and new bilateral agreements,” the Tages-Anzeiger said. When asked about this, von der Leyen said she trusted that Switzerland would honour its commitments to the EU. “With the new agreements, we want to look forwards rather than backwards,” she said.
One of the clouds hanging over the future of Swissinfo has lifted. On Wednesday the House of Representatives voted by 104 to 84 against abolishing federal funding for the international mandate of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).
The proposal, which had already been rejected by the Senate in December, called for scrapping the annual CHF19 million ($24.4 million) contribution used to finance the SBC’s international mandate. The cut would have affected not only Swissinfo – which is financed partly by the federal budget and partly by the SBC – but also Switzerland’s contributions to TV5Monde, tvsvizzera.it and 3sat.
Discussions will continue in parliament over the next two weeks to resolve any differences regarding the entire government savings programme, but federal funding for Swissinfo appears secured for the coming years.
However, not all threats facing public media have been averted. On Sunday, voters will decide on a right-wing initiative to reduce the annual SBC radio and television licence fee for households from CHF335 ($430) to CHF200 and to exempt businesses from paying it altogether. Make sure you follow Swissinfo on Sunday for the latest results and analysis.
Lausanne design studio Emphase has been chosen by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to create the new series of Swiss banknotes. The concept for the tenth series is “Switzerland and its altitudes”.
In their design, various plants adorn the banknotes on one side and subjects from architecture, culture, transport and landscape on the other. The new banknotes are not expected to be issued until the early 2030s.
More than 300 Swiss-based designers took part in the competition. The SNB selected 12 concepts, and more than 100,000 people took part in a public vote last summer. The 12 submitted designs are on show at the SNB Forum in Zurich until March 15.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg/ac
The week ahead
On Sunday the Swiss go to the polls to decide on four issues, including whether to reduce the radio and television licence fee of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Swissinfo’s parent company.
UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, is set to publish its annual report on Monday morning. It’s been an interesting year.
On Tuesday SECO, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, will publish its annual report on the export of war materiel. What has Switzerland sold to whom?
The Swiss entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, sung by Veronica Fusaro, will be revealed on Wednesday.
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