Week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Have you received/filled in/sent back your voting papers for the national vote on June 14? The Swiss Abroad look set, once again, to reject a limit on immigration by a significantly greater margin than their compatriots in Switzerland.
On Wednesday the Trump administration proposed fresh punitive tariffs on around 60 trading partners, including 12.5% for Switzerland and 10% for the European Union, the UK and Canada.
Washington accuses the countries involved of failing to do enough to tackle imports of goods produced using forced labour. The Swiss economics ministry “vehemently” rejected the accusations of forced labour, and the Swiss business federation economiesuisse dismissed the claims as “completely unfounded”.
Economiesuisse said that, while the latest tariff threats from Washington would weigh on Swiss firms, they were less severe than earlier rounds of punitive duties. Last year on August 1 (Swiss National Day), Trump imposed tariffs of 39% on Switzerland and 15% on the EU. “That was the real blow,” said economiesuisse chief economist Rudolf Minsch, explaining that such wide gaps are almost impossible to compensate for.
Reacting to the latest tariff announcement, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) said Switzerland remained an “easy target” for Trump. “If he takes on China or the EU, he can expect countermeasures that will also hurt American companies because China and Europe are major sales markets,” the newspaper said on Thursday. “Switzerland, on the other hand, is small and relatively insignificant. In the summer, as the negotiations [to finalise a broader trade deal] approach their final phase, it’s in danger of finding itself back where it was last August 1: humiliated and hit by Trump’s tariff hammer. This trauma should not be repeated.”
Swiss voters look set to reject an initiative to cap Switzerland’s population, according to the latest poll. But a second vote on June 14, on civilian service, is a “nail-biter”, says Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
On Wednesday the second Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) poll showed that opponents of the ‘No to ten million’ immigration initiative had gained ground: 52% of respondents said they would reject the right-wing move to limit the Swiss population to ten million by 2050 (it’s currently about 9.1 million), while 45% would vote in favour. The remainder were undecided or didn’t answer.
The Swiss Abroad are even more clearly opposed to the initiative, with 63% saying they would vote against it. Political scientist Lukas Golder from the gfs.bern institute, which conducted the survey, noted that the Swiss Abroad benefit from the free movement agreement with the European Union.
The outcome is much closer when it comes to the amendment to the Civilian Service Act, which would introduce stricter conditions for access to civilian service in order to guarantee army numbers. Support has slipped to 48%, while 46% are opposed. The picture is similar among Swiss Abroad voters, although the proportion of undecided voters remains higher.
The victim support hotline 142, a new contact point in Switzerland for people affected by violence, has been open since May 1. It receives about 100 calls a day, mostly from women.
A recurring theme in the conversations is shame and self-doubt, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported on Tuesday. “Many women say: I’m a self-confident woman, I studied – and now this has happened to me,” Ursula Frisch, a telephone counsellor told SRF. “It has nothing to do with status or education. Violence can happen to anyone.”
The hotline is aimed at all those affected – men and women, as well as minors, regardless of whether it is psychological, physical or sexual violence. Relatives can also seek advice. The counsellors say that anyone who is unsure whether 142 is the right centre should call anyway.
Separately, on Wednesday the House of Representatives backed a government proposal to improve support for victims of violence by guaranteeing access to forensic medical care and expanding emergency accommodation across the country.
Swiss football fans can breathe a sigh of relief after star striker Breel Embolo was finally given a visa to travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday.
The drama began on Tuesday at Zurich Airport. As the rest of the Swiss squad boarded the plane to Los Angeles, Embolo was heading to Bern to apply for a visa, having seen his ESTA travel permit flagged just before take-off.
“Embolo’s cancelled travel permit application wrong-footed the national team,” Swiss public broadcaster SRF said on Wednesday. According to the Swiss football association (SFA), all ESTA applications, including Embolo’s, had been marked as approved on the day of departure, but “the situation changed at the airport”. Two-and-a-half hours before take-off, the US authorities requested clarifications concerning Embolo.
The issue is that last year Embolo, who has scored 24 goals for Switzerland in 86 appearances, was given a suspended fine for making multiple threats during an altercation in 2018, a verdict later upheld on appeal. “The Embassy’s inquiries focused specifically on whether any physical violence had been involved,” the SFA said. “This was not the case.”
The green light eventually came late on Thursday evening. “We have just been informed that Breel Embolo’s visa has been approved,” said a relieved SFA. “He will therefore be able to travel to the United States tomorrow, Friday. He is expected to join the team on Friday evening [local US time].”
Switzerland’s first match is against Qatar on June 13.
The week ahead
On Tuesday the Federal Statistical Office publishes its victim support figures for 2025, recording gender, age, nationality, offence, perpetrator-victim relationship and canton. Statistics are also provided on support and compensation.
The 2026 men’s football World Cup kicks off in North America on Thursday. Switzerland’s three group matches are against Qatar (June 13), Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 18) and Canada (June 24). All are at 9pm Swiss time.
On Sunday June 14 the Swiss head to the polls, as they do on average four times a year. There are two issues at a federal level: capping the Swiss population at ten million by 2050 and tightening conditions for access to civilian service in order to guarantee army numbers.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg/sb
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