Switzerland Today
Dear readers,
After weeks of heat and drought, thunderstorms have returned to parts of Switzerland. The change has been met with relief, even if it is not enough to undo the effects of a particularly hot start to the summer.
In the country’s lakes, meanwhile, high water temperatures are encouraging the spread of duck fleas – microscopic parasites that can turn a refreshing swim into an itchy experience.
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After weeks of heat and drought, thunderstorms sweeping across Switzerland from Thursday into Friday brought some relief. Rain fell heavily in places and temperatures dropped slightly, bringing a temporary end to a particularly gruelling heatwave.
The storms moved across much of the country. In some areas they were violent, with strong winds and heavy rain. In Montreux, the weather disrupted the Jazz Festival and caused some material damage. In German-speaking Switzerland, it delayed the broadcast of a popular card-playing programme on Swiss public television, SRF. Despite the intensity of the storms, however, there were no major incidents.
The respite may prove short-lived. The rainfall over the past few hours is not enough to make up for weeks of water shortages. In many regions, the soil is still extremely dry and rivers are still under strain.
The situation remains particularly worrying for farmers. Speaking to Watson, a farmer from canton Neuchâtel summed up the new situation: “it’s wet on the surface, but underneath, it’s just dust”. Beneath the thin layer of soil moistened by the storms, drought continues to take its toll on crops and pastures.
The persistent heat is also having a lesser-known impact on Switzerland’s lakes. Experts have observed a resurgence of duck fleas – tiny parasitic larvae whose spread is encouraged by warmer water.
Despite their name, these “fleas” are not insects but cercariae, the larvae of parasitic worms. Carried by water birds, they develop when water temperatures remain above 23°C. Several of Switzerland’s major lakes are currently between 24°C and 26°C, creating ideal conditions for their spread.
Although the parasites pose no serious risk to humans, they can cause intense itching after swimming. Researchers believe the phenomenon could become increasingly common as hotter summers favour the development of these larvae in Swiss lakes.
Switzerland’s mortgage market has reached a new milestone. According to several recent analyses, the total volume of mortgage loans has now exceeded CHF1.3 trillion ($1.6 trillion), a record high.
The increase is largely driven by the continued rise in property prices. Despite a slight fall in interest rates in the past months, buying a home remains expensive and borrowers are taking on ever larger mortgages. In many parts of the country, households must bear increasing levels of debt to become homeowners.
Banks continue to dominate the market, but other players are steadily gaining ground. Insurance companies, pension funds and other institutional investors are becoming increasingly active, attracted by returns considered relatively stable.
The CHF1.3 trillion milestone highlights not only the weight of the property sector in the Swiss economy, but also the growing role mortgages play as an investment. For many institutional investors, they have become a core part of their portfolios.
Has stealth become the Swiss Army’s new ideal? After replacing its traditional dress uniforms with a single camouflage uniform a few months ago, it now wants to keep a lower profile in public. Appearances at festivals, sporting events and other public gatherings could become less frequent.
The decision is driven by practical considerations. The army wants to focus more of its resources on defence and security tasks. At a time of budget constraints and a more challenging security environment, a visible presence at civilian events is no longer seen as a priority.
The pursuit of stealth does, however, have its limits. Switzerland’s future F-35 fighter jets, designed to be difficult to detect, will not take to the skies for some time. And when they do, they may still be accompanied by the far less discreet F/A-18s, which the army plans to keep in service as a second fleet for several more years.
Camouflage, meanwhile, seems to be working perfectly for Swiss fruit. The army is now serving Italian apple sauce, much to the frustration of Swiss producers. It says the Italian supplier was the only company to submit a compliant bid during the tender process. In German-speaking Switzerland, some are already lamenting the fate of their beloved “Apfelmus”. In French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, however, many are more puzzled by the long-standing tradition of serving apple sauce with pasta in the first place.
Translated from French, sub-edited by Alexandra MV Andrist/dos
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