Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
As the Alpaufzug, Switzerland’s traditional spring cattle drive, begins across our alpine country, all eyes are once again on farmers in traditional dress and decoratively adorned cattle making their way to mountain pastures. Today’s briefing also focuses on the challenges facing Swiss agriculture – and much like the Alpine cattle drives themselves, these debates are likely to continue throughout the summer.
Sunny regards from Bern,
A video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir apparently taunting Gaza flotilla activists has triggered strong criticism from the Swiss foreign ministry.
In the footage, Ben-Gvir is seen encouraging security personnel as they restrain a female activist shouting “Free, Free, Palestine”. He later appears waving a large Israeli flag next to dozens of activists kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, telling them in Hebrew: “Welcome to Israel. We are the masters.”
On X, the Swiss foreign ministry said it “deplores the unacceptable treatment of certain participants”, adding that the scenes appeared incompatible with assurances previously received from the Israeli authorities regarding respect for international law and fundamental rights.
At the same time, the ministry reiterated its earlier position that Swiss nationals who joined the flotilla despite official warnings had acted “at their own risk”. Participants had been informed that any consular support would be limited and invoiced in accordance with the Swiss Abroad Act. In all, 19 Swiss were among the more than 400 activists aboard 41 ships in the flotilla, which the Israeli navy intercepted off the coast of Gaza late last week.
The foreign ministry has previously faced criticism for what some see as an overly cautious diplomatic approach towards Israel. Last year, around 250 civil servants and diplomats reportedly criticised Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in an internal letter for a perceived lack of firmness regarding Israeli policy in Gaza.
Swiss farmers are currently fighting battles on multiple fronts. Vegetable growers are taking legal action against supermarket giant Migros, while the powerful farming lobby is pushing back against both the Swiss government’s proposed subsidies and the planned Mercosur trade agreement.
Next month, the House of Representatives will debate the proposed Mercosur agreement with the South American trade bloc made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Supporters see the agreement as a way to diversify Swiss trade relations, while farmers fear cheaper imports could place further pressure on Swiss agriculture. To ease concerns, the Swiss government has proposed CHF158 million ($201 million) in subsidies between 2028 and 2031.
The response from the farming lobby was immediate. “The Swiss government’s decision is so provocative that we are seriously considering launching a referendum,” said the Swiss Farmers’ Union president Markus Ritter. The association is demanding almost six times more support spread over eight years. Without it, the organisation says it will not support the Mercosur agreement. Given the lobby’s strong influence in parliament, the threat of a referendum could jeopardise the entire deal.
At the same time, the association Fair Markets Switzerland has filed a complaint with the Competition Commission against Migros over a discount system that has existed for around 20 years. Under the arrangement, Migros receives a flat 3% discount if invoices are paid within ten days. According to Fair Markets Switzerland president Stefan Flückiger, the system results in a “systematic loss of margins in favour of the Migros Group”, costing fruit and vegetable growers around CHF12 million annually.
The Competition Commission says it has received a growing number of such complaints. This reflects intensifying price competition in Switzerland.
The Geneva cantonal government has authorised a demonstration on Swiss territory ahead of next month’s G7 summit in nearby Évian, France. But the summit and related protests are also raising concerns about the strain placed on Geneva’s police force.
The authorised demonstration is scheduled for June 14, the day before the summit begins.
“We relied on the police’s experience,” president of Geneva’s cantonal government Thierry Apothéloz told the media. His colleague in charge of security, Carole-Anne Kast, described the security operation as “unprecedented in scope”. Alongside the NATO summit, the G7 is considered one of the most difficult international events to secure. Leaders of the major Western economies, including US President Donald Trump, are expected to attend.
The Swiss government has already approved the mobilisation of up to 5,000 soldiers to support cantonal security forces. Meanwhile, Geneva’s police union says some officers have been assigned 12-hour shifts over ten consecutive days before and during the summit.
Geneva’s public prosecutor Olivier Jornot said earlier this week that staffing levels would need to be doubled or even tripled to cope with the expected number of arrests and incidents.
Aside from the June 14 demonstration, all other non-authorised public events will be banned between June 12 and 17. At Geneva’s request, the Swiss government will also tighten border controls during the summit. From June 12, only seven of the region’s 35 border crossings will remain open.
Last year saw a sharp rise in bankruptcies, according to statistics published today by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In 2025, 12,485 bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against companies, a 61.2% increase on the previous year.
In 2025, 13,612 bankruptcy proceedings were opened under the Federal Act on Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy. Of these, 12,485 concerned companies and 1,127 private individuals. Compared with the previous year, the total number of proceedings rose by 48.5%. Corporate bankruptcies alone increased by 61.2%. Private bankruptcies, by contrast, declined by 20.9%.
Much of the increase is linked to a legal change that came into force on January 1, 2025. Creditors can now file bankruptcy proceedings for unpaid public-law debts such as taxes or social security contributions. Previously, such debts could only be pursued through seizure proceedings. However, the FSO stipulates that the effects of the new legislation cannot be precisely quantified as it is not possible to distinguish which bankruptcy proceedings are attributable to the change in legislation.
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