Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The World Cup is barely over, but FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has once again managed to spark debates. Together with Trump and his entourage, the Swiss man has floated an idea to partially privatise the World Cup. With big money at stake, sport is taking a back seat. But the idea is facing pushback, especially in Europe.
That said, I’d like to start today’s briefing with some positive news.
Warm regards from Bern.
Fawns are born with instincts that help protect them from predators – but not from mowing machines. But volunteers, who use drones to save the young animals, have reported positive results.
Between April and June 2026, 800 teams saved 7,590 fawns from death or mutilation in Switzerland – more than ever before. According to an association for rescuing fawns, volunteers this year scanned 73,000 hectares for endangered animals, equivalent to half the surface area of canton Aargau. The success is mainly down to the training of numerous new drone pilots.
Fawns tend to duck when in danger, crouching motionless in the grass rather than fleeing – and making them invisible to mowers. Official statistics say around 1,500 animals are killed this way each year, but experts suspect the real number is much higher, according to Swiss public broadcaster, SRF.
The weather also helped to limit the damage this year: a dry April allowed for early mowing, before many fawns were born, and many rescue operations at the start of the season were cancelled.
Is professional football losing its soul to investors? Swiss FIFA boss Gianni Infantino wants to privatise parts of the World Cup. Experts and media reports suggest that what sounds like a business issue is a political earthquake that could split world football.
Infantino wants to outsource parts of the World Cup rights to a company in which investors can buy shares. According to the 20 Minuten news site, this could mean radical commercialisation: to ensure a return on investment, tournaments in future could take place more frequently. Backers of the move include US investors from Donald Trump’s circle. Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is reportedly taking the lead.
But the plans, which have long since ceased to be about sport and are now about millions – if not billions – of dollars, have sparked resistance. European football association UEFA has warned of an “atomic bomb” for football, and said the soul of the game is not for sale; it is even reportedly discussing a boycott of the World Cup.
But Europe is the sporting heart of football; without its top teams, the World Cup would hardly be worth investing in. The German tabloid Bild even talks of UEFA leaving world football’s governing body FIFA. As a reminder: Infantino previously failed with a similar idea to privatise the Club World Cup. Again, there is sure to be plenty of heated battles off the pitch.
In Ticino, the resignation of the president of the cantonal government, Claudio Zali, has set off a political earthquake. A secret audio recording involving Zali has put an end to his decades-long career, leaving the public stunned.
Zali’s background brings added spice to the scandal: he served as a judge for 30 years. Now, he is under investigation for the alleged abuse of office. On top of this, an audio recording has been made public in which Zali allegedly calls for violence against a woman. Both elements raise questions about the credibility of the rule of law.
The 64-year-old Zali, who represents the right-wing Lega dei Ticinesi party, had only been in office since mid-April. As the Nau news portal notes, he has now even lost the support of media outlets close to the party. Despite the allegations against him, his departure will only take effect at the end of September. Zali wants to hand over to his successor properly – a move which has been divisive in a canton already rocked by protests against him.
The Lega has meanwhile taken note of the resignation, labelling it a “difficult decision to protect institutions and to calmly face investigations”. Zali has insisted on the presumption of innocence and says his statements were a purely private outburst of anger.
The cantonal government also took note of Zali’s decision on Wednesday, announcing that his successor will be Piero Marchesi, a national-level parliamentarian from the Ticino section of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. The presidency of the cantonal government will be taken up with immediate effect by Social Democrat minister Marina Carobbio Guscetti.
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