Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
School holidays begin today in many cantons. Switzerland is switching into summer mode. But for many, work continues.
Switzerland's footballers are certainly enjoying their work after reaching the World Cup last 16.
Many headteachers, meanwhile, are busy recruiting staff as schools face a shortage of teachers ahead of the new school year. And Migros is opening its first supermarket that will remain open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Time off is becoming a rarity.
Enjoy your weekend!
Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 in the World Cup round of 32 in Vancouver, booking their place in the last 16 with what the Swiss media described as one of their most composed performances of the tournament.
Commentators praised the team’s maturity. Swiss public broadcaster SRF described it as the “mature performance of an experienced team”. “The Nati [Swiss national football team] beat the North Africans like a top-class side,” wrote Watson, while the Tages-Anzeiger called it a “seasoned, composed and mature performance”. Switzerland will now face either Colombia or Ghana in Tuesday’s round of 16.
Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye scored the goals, while 20-year-old Johan Manzambi once again impressed. The young Swiss midfielder provided another assist, taking his total goal contributions at this World Cup to five and further establishing himself as one of the team’s standout performers.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who watched the match in Vancouver, also celebrated the victory. His red cap, emblazoned with the slogan “Switzerland – Great Since 1291”, was widely seen as a playful nod to US President Donald Trump’s signature red MAGA cap.
Cracks are appearing within the Swiss People’s Party. For decades, the party has successfully united farmers and business leaders behind a common political agenda. Now, that alliance appears to be under strain.
Swiss People’s Party heavyweight Peter Spuhler has accused the Swiss Farmers’ Union of breaking an internal understanding over the Mercosur free trade agreement. Speaking to Blick, the Stadler Rail chairman described the union’s opposition to the agreement as “a no-go”. While Swiss industry sees the trade deal as economically important, farmers fear increased competition and successfully opposed ratification in the House of Representatives.
“We had a deal within the Swiss People’s Party parliamentary group: we support the farmers, and the farmers support us,” Spuhler said. “I stand behind our farming community. But in these difficult times, I also expect farmers to support the economy.”
One of the party’s defining strengths has long been its ability to unite wealthy entrepreneurs and farmers under one political umbrella. Whether that balance can be maintained is now being openly questioned. “If farmers blackmail the economy in this way, the numbers simply won’t add up for anyone,” Spuhler warned.
Migros is bringing round-the-clock shopping to Switzerland, opening its first 24-hour supermarket in Herisau.
With the pilot project, the retailer says it is responding to growing demand for more flexible shopping options. During the day, the store operates like any other Migros branch and is staffed until 7pm. After that, customers enter using a QR code and shop in self-service mode, paying at self-checkout tills.
The branch is relatively small, covering just under 300m2 and stocking around 7,000 products. According to Migros, a compact store with a limited range is better suited to unstaffed operation.
The first 24-hour Migros has opened in Herisau thanks to the flexible regulatory approach taken by the authorities in canton Appenzell Outer-Rhodes. The retailer says it plans to open more round-the-clock stores but has not revealed how many.
While pupils in many cantons begin their summer holidays today, schools are already preparing for the next academic year – and many are struggling to recruit teachers.
Qualified teachers remain in short supply, prompting cantons and municipalities to compete by offering higher salaries. According to Thomas Minder, president of the Association of Swiss Headteachers, wage competition between cantons has intensified, making recruitment increasingly expensive.
The median starting salary for teachers in Switzerland is around CHF85,000 ($105,313) per year before tax.
“This is how the teacher shortage is simply passed from one canton to another,” Minder told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. The shortage is currently most acute in canton Bern, while staffing levels are somewhat better in Zurich and eastern Switzerland, where salaries tend to be higher.
Many cantons expect pupil numbers to continue rising over the coming years, suggesting the shortage is unlikely to ease anytime soon.
Translated from German, sub-edited by Alexandra MV Andrist/ac
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
