Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Do you still regularly follow what’s happening in the region where you grew up?
Today is Local Journalism Day. I also started my career in local journalism. In a way, I am still doing it today – albeit for a Swiss community scattered across the world – but with the same aspiration: to stay close to the issues that affect you.
Kind regards from Bern.
In mid-June, world leaders will meet in Evian, France – the effects are already being felt in western Switzerland.
In Geneva, discussions are under way about closing certain border crossings and reintroducing identity checks. “The Federal Council can decide to strengthen security measures at the borders if public order is threatened,” Geneva police commander Monica Bonfanti said in an interview with French-speaking Swiss radio and television, RTS.
The handling of planned demonstrations also remains open. France has banned anti-G7 protests on its territory, prompting critics of the G7 to turn to Geneva, where an application has already been submitted. Authorities are not ruling out restrictions or a ban if security concerns prevail. When the G8 summit was held in Evian in 2003, there were major riots in Geneva, which “left a lasting mark”, Bonfanti said.
The current situation highlights how closely interconnected the border region is. Thousands of cross-border commuters are being forced to reorganise their journeys as companies prepare for disruption and Lake Geneva ferry schedules and docking locations are adjusted. Working from home, carpooling and temporary accommodation have become contingency solutions.
Once regarded as the “Swiss Elon Musk”, Pascal Jaussi is now on trial accused of fraud, unfair management and breach of trust. He denies the charges.
Nearly ten years after the bankruptcy of his space company, former S3 boss Pascal Jaussi is appearing before the economic criminal court in Fribourg. He faces several charges.
The indictment accuses Jaussi of deceiving investors and customers. His company left debts of more than CHF30 million ($38.3 million) after its collapse. Weightlessness flights, for example, were allegedly sold but never carried out.
The charges also include an alleged staged robbery in 2016, which prosecutors say was intended to delay bankruptcy proceedings and mislead the authorities. Jaussi denies all allegations and says he will prove his innocence in court.
The Federal Intelligence Service is granting access to files on Nazi criminal Josef Mengele following a complaint and a reassessment of the legal situation.
The move was triggered by a historian investigating Mengele’s possible stays in Switzerland. At issue is whether the doctor known as the “Angel of Death of Auschwitz” was in Kloten in 1961 and whether Swiss authorities were aware of it. Access to the files had previously been denied until 2071, citing security and privacy concerns.
The intelligence service now says it will open the files “under certain conditions”, based in part on a Federal Council decision allowing more liberal access to certain archives. Details of these conditions remain unclear.
Historians have criticised the previous restrictive approach, describing it as “routine censorship”. The release is expected to bring greater clarity to a case that has long been the subject of speculation.
Local journalism is under pressure. Falling advertising revenues and dependence on digital platforms are weakening the sector. Despite this – or perhaps because of it – “Local Journalism Day” is being marked today, drawing attention to an industry whose business model is increasingly eroding.
I grew up in the Wynental region in canton Aargau. For years, the Wynentaler Blatt and the Aargauer Zeitung covered events in my home region. Today, living in the Bern area, I realise that staying informed locally increasingly depends on whether such reporting still exists.
This is at the heart of the problem: traditional funding models based on advertising and subscriptions are disappearing, while digital revenues are largely captured by international platforms. This leaves a structural gap for many local media outlets.
At the same time, the importance of local journalism remains undisputed. It creates public visibility, makes political processes transparent and plays a key role in democratic oversight – especially in Switzerland, with its strong municipal system.
Translated using AI/amva/sb
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
