Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Today’s briefing is about aeroplanes – those that can no longer fly, those flying around Switzerland and one that landed in Switzerland today from Dubai.
We also have the latest decisions from parliament that affect you.
Best wishes from Bern
A special Swiss International Airlines flight from Dubai has landed in Switzerland – but thousands of Swiss are still waiting to return from the Gulf states.
A SWISS aircraft from Oman’s capital Muscat landed in Zurich this afternoon. The more than 200 passengers on board were fortunate enough to return to Switzerland from the Gulf states – a small number compared with the 5,200 Swiss nationals who, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF, are hoping to return from the region.
The flight was organised by the airline, not by Swiss authorities, which also did not contribute to the costs. The government has not changed its position since the outbreak of the latest Middle East conflict. “Every citizen is responsible for informing themselves before travelling,” Marianne Jenni, head of the consular section at the foreign ministry, told Swiss public broadcaster RTS. At the same time, officials say they are working intensively to identify possible solutions.
The Tages Anzeiger reports on a Swiss family who decided not to wait and organised their return themselves. A chauffeur drove the parents and their two children from Doha through the desert to Saudi Arabia. The family arrived safely at Riyadh airport, from where they planned to continue to Turkey. The article ends there, leaving it unclear whether the journey home was successful. Missiles from Iran were also intercepted over Turkey.
What is Switzerland’s position in the current conflict? While the government is still considering whether to apply neutrality law, US military aircraft are already flying around Swiss airspace.
The escalation in the Middle East has once again put Swiss neutrality in the spotlight. The government has not yet decided to apply neutrality law – a step that could, among other things, prohibit exports of war materiel to the US and strain relations with Washington.
But a look at the skies shows that Switzerland already has a special status. US military aircraft are currently flying in a wide arc around Swiss airspace, according to the Tages Anzeiger. Every night, refuelling and transport aircraft from the US or from US bases in Europe depart for the Middle East while avoiding Swiss territory.
Speaking of aircraft: The conflict is also affecting trade routes in the air – with potential consequences for the Gulf region. “Dubai only has about ten days’ worth of fresh food left,” Stefan Paul, head of the Swiss logistics company Kühne+Nagel, told Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.. Goods can be transported to Dubai via Saudi Arabia by lorry – but this can never match the capacity of an aircraft or a container ship.
The House of Representatives has taken a series of decisions that are important for the Swiss Abroad – consistently voting in their favour.
No cuts to Swissinfo, that was yesterday’s news. Other important decisions followed. As part of the Savings Package 27, the government had proposed cutting CHF400,000 ($512,258) a year from the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). The House of Representatives rejected this proposal – unlike the Senate earlier. The OSA is now calling on the Senate to also abandon the cuts. The House of Representatives also rejected planned cuts to Swiss schools abroad on Wednesday.
In view of these decisions – and parliament’s support for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation’s (SBC) international mandate – the OSA said: “The House of Representatives has decided entirely in the interests of the Swiss Abroad community. It has shown that it understands the importance of these relationships.”
This morning, the House of Representatives also approved CHF66 million to modernise the central compensation office digitally. The office transfers Swiss pensions abroad – more than one million payments to 153 countries each month. The credit was approved by 175 votes to two.
Food in a tube changed Swiss cuisine and Thomy mayonnaise joined the tube revolution 75 years ago. It was part of a broader shift that made food more long-lasting and cooking easier.
Do you like mayonnaise? You may live in a country where it is sold in jars or plastic containers – at least that has been my experience abroad. In Switzerland, however, mayonnaise usually comes in a tube.
Exactly 75 years ago, the Swiss company Thomy introduced mayonnaise in tubes, after previously launching the mustard tube as a world first. Mayonnaise in hygienic packaging was less a culinary revolution than a quiet structural change, notes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). In the 1950s, households were becoming more efficient, kitchen appliances were spreading and food production was increasingly industrialised. Mayonnaise – previously a “symbol of bourgeois cookery”, according to the newspaper – suddenly became widely accessible and easier to store.
Today Thomy is owned by Nestlé, but mayonnaise in a tube remains popular. According to the company, its “à la française” mayonnaise is the bestseller, followed by the light version. Although a staple for many households, sales still fluctuate throughout the year. Easter roughly marks the start of the peak season, which then continues into asparagus and barbecue season.
Translated using AI/amva
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