Switzerland plays a crucial role in international politics across many areas. We uncover the complexities of Swiss politics globally and provide fresh perspectives on international developments.
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Swiss politicians decry ‘gold bar diplomacy’ in Trump trade deal
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Backlash over role played in talks by executives from companies including Rolex and Richemont.
How the neutrality initiative could affect Swiss policy
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The neutrality initiative seeks to incorporate a strict interpretation of Swiss neutrality in the federal constitution. What would this mean for Switzerland’s foreign and security policy?
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Former ambassador Paul Widmer argues in favour of accepting the neutrality initiative, as Swiss neutrality depends on international recognition for its credibility and effectiveness.
Neutrality under fire: the enduring power of Park Chan-wook’s DMZ thriller
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Busan Film Festival celebrates the Korean film with Swiss focus that raised legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook to cinema royalty.
Switzerland flies under the radar at NATO gathering
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Switzerland is not a NATO member, but it keeps half a foot in the door – a visit to the alliance’s recent parliamentary assembly shows how this works.
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Twice yearly, lawmakers from NATO and beyond – including Switzerland – meet to discuss all things defence. A portrait of an understated institution.
Fake news spread abroad about Switzerland is a liability
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False claims about Swiss neutrality are circulating internationally. Switzerland needs to do more to ensure that other countries do not have a false image of the country. A Swissinfo analysis.
50 years of the Helsinki Accords: Switzerland’s role between the blocs
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Switzerland played an important role in the adoption of the pan-European set of rules in the 1970s that gave rise to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Cuban diplomats eye Switzerland in bid to ease US economic pressure
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As tensions rise again between Cuba and the US, Cuban diplomats are quietly looking to Switzerland to help restore a constructive dialogue.
Forgotten Swiss peace pact has lessons for Europe on ending bloodshed
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The Locarno Pact, negotiated in Switzerland 100 years ago, still reverberates today as Europe once again deals with war and US isolationism.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dilemma over staying or returning
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After the fall of the Syrian regime, some refugees are returning home, while tens of thousands are once again taking flight.
How a global plan to preserve forests launched a carbon offset debate
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The journey of a UN-backed scheme to prevent deforestation through carbon offsets exposes the challenges of influencing climate-related practices from afar.
Drug trade and land grabs threaten Amazon communities on climate front lines
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Drug trafficking, violence and weak state support overshadow Peru’s Amarakaeri reserve, where Indigenous communities are struggling to protect forests.
Charitable giving comes under pressure as donors slash education aid
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Donors like Switzerland are cutting funding for basic education in low-income countries. Can charitable foundations help fill the gap and improve learning outcomes?
The Davos set in decline: can the World Economic Forum save itself?
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Battered by scandal, the Swiss-based WEF faces a moment of crisis. Insiders say its future may depend on the success of next year’s meeting.
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The scandal at the Swiss food giant raises questions about its corporate culture and the health of its conglomerate model.
Why Switzerland must put human rights at the core of the OSCE
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The OSCE presidency presents an opportunity to refocus the organisation on one of its core mission, argue Eleonora Mongelli and Florian Irminger.
Lobbyists and oil-producers blamed for failure of Geneva plastics treaty
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Talks on a binding treaty on plastic pollution broke down on Friday. Several experts are pointing the finger at interest groups and oil- and plastic-producing countries.
Africa’s relevance is growing – and everyone wants in
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Africa is the future – by 2100, one in three people will live there. As the African Union’s clout grows, Switzerland is stepping up engagement.
Switzerland signs controversial reconstruction aid package for Ukraine
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The deal, which includes binding contracts for the involvement of Swiss companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction, has been widely criticised.
China’s project to mediate global disputes underlines divide between the West and the rest
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China has launched a new global mediation body to resolve disputes. How will this initiative reshape international conflict resolution?
US trade deal forces reckoning for Swiss pharma powerhouse
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Swiss pharma made massive investment promises to the US that are fueling anxiety about the industry’s future in Switzerland.
Switzerland among vanguard shaping global digital age
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A new deal on digital services trade between Singapore and EFTA states shows that even coalitions of small economies can help set global standards in the digital age.
Lessons from the US-Swiss tariff dispute: when the ends justify the means
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Tariff negotiations with the United States have been a steep learning curve for Switzerland and its trade diplomacy — and an unprecedented rollercoaster ride.
Facing Trump’s tariffs, Swiss farmers find themselves with too much milk
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Swiss dairy farmers produced a bumper harvest of milk, but higher U.S. duties have forced them to consider ways to cut back, including slaughtering cows.
Switzerland keeps profits derived from foreign bribery. It shouldn’t.
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Switzerland should stop this practice. Not only for the sake of its reputation, but also for its own benefit, argues Andrew Dornbierer.
UBS gaining support for compromise on Swiss capital rules
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Liberal and right-wing lawmakers and lobbyists are discussing proposal that could slash capital increase by $10 billion or more.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dilemma over staying or returning
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After the fall of the Syrian regime, some refugees are returning home, while tens of thousands are once again taking flight.
Rubble and drones: in the no-go zone between Lebanon and Israel
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Since the 2024 war, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel has become a no-man’s land of devastation. We join a team of United Nations military observers on patrol on the Lebanese side.
Explainer: Why Europe is bringing back conscription
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Europe’s shortage of professional soldiers, amid mounting concerns over Russian military ambitions, is forcing countries to revisit the idea of conscription.
Charitable giving comes under pressure as donors slash education aid
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Donors like Switzerland are cutting funding for basic education in low-income countries. Can charitable foundations help fill the gap and improve learning outcomes?
Switzerland keeps profits derived from foreign bribery. It shouldn’t.
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Switzerland should stop this practice. Not only for the sake of its reputation, but also for its own benefit, argues Andrew Dornbierer.
The Davos set in decline: can the World Economic Forum save itself?
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Battered by scandal, the Swiss-based WEF faces a moment of crisis. Insiders say its future may depend on the success of next year’s meeting.
UBS gaining support for compromise on Swiss capital rules
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Liberal and right-wing lawmakers and lobbyists are discussing proposal that could slash capital increase by $10 billion or more.
Why studying Eastern European history is so political
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The subject has always been heavily dependent on political cycles. An analysis by Eastern European historian Fabian Baumann.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dilemma over staying or returning
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After the fall of the Syrian regime, some refugees are returning home, while tens of thousands are once again taking flight.
Detained 81-year-old Swiss-Tunisian is finally sentenced and released
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After more than a year and a half in prison in Tunisia, Mustapha Djemali was finally brought to trial and immediately released from prison.
How a global plan to preserve forests launched a carbon offset debate
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The journey of a UN-backed scheme to prevent deforestation through carbon offsets exposes the challenges of influencing climate-related practices from afar.
Drug trade and land grabs threaten Amazon communities on climate front lines
This content was published on
Drug trafficking, violence and weak state support overshadow Peru’s Amarakaeri reserve, where Indigenous communities are struggling to protect forests.
Rubble and drones: in the no-go zone between Lebanon and Israel
This content was published on
Since the 2024 war, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel has become a no-man’s land of devastation. We join a team of United Nations military observers on patrol on the Lebanese side.
US trade deal forces reckoning for Swiss pharma powerhouse
This content was published on
Swiss pharma made massive investment promises to the US that are fueling anxiety about the industry’s future in Switzerland.
How the neutrality initiative could affect Swiss policy
This content was published on
The neutrality initiative seeks to incorporate a strict interpretation of Swiss neutrality in the federal constitution. What would this mean for Switzerland’s foreign and security policy?
This content was published on
Former ambassador Paul Widmer argues in favour of accepting the neutrality initiative, as Swiss neutrality depends on international recognition for its credibility and effectiveness.
Switzerland among vanguard shaping global digital age
This content was published on
A new deal on digital services trade between Singapore and EFTA states shows that even coalitions of small economies can help set global standards in the digital age.
Lessons from the US-Swiss tariff dispute: when the ends justify the means
This content was published on
Tariff negotiations with the United States have been a steep learning curve for Switzerland and its trade diplomacy — and an unprecedented rollercoaster ride.
Explainer: Why Europe is bringing back conscription
This content was published on
Europe’s shortage of professional soldiers, amid mounting concerns over Russian military ambitions, is forcing countries to revisit the idea of conscription.
Neutrality under fire: the enduring power of Park Chan-wook’s DMZ thriller
This content was published on
Busan Film Festival celebrates the Korean film with Swiss focus that raised legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook to cinema royalty.
Facing Trump’s tariffs, Swiss farmers find themselves with too much milk
This content was published on
Swiss dairy farmers produced a bumper harvest of milk, but higher U.S. duties have forced them to consider ways to cut back, including slaughtering cows.
Charitable giving comes under pressure as donors slash education aid
This content was published on
Donors like Switzerland are cutting funding for basic education in low-income countries. Can charitable foundations help fill the gap and improve learning outcomes?
As Switzerland prepares to chair the OSCE, is this body still relevant?
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In 2026 Switzerland will take over the chair of the OSCE, which is in a deep crisis. Expectations are high – also on the part of Russia.
Switzerland flies under the radar at NATO gathering
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Switzerland is not a NATO member, but it keeps half a foot in the door – a visit to the alliance’s recent parliamentary assembly shows how this works.
This content was published on
Twice yearly, lawmakers from NATO and beyond – including Switzerland – meet to discuss all things defence. A portrait of an understated institution.
Averting conflict can become Switzerland’s role in Arctic science diplomacy
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Switzerland is making meaningful contributions to Arctic governance and multilateral dialogue, as the Arctic becomes a geopolitical and environmental epicentre.
Switzerland keeps profits derived from foreign bribery. It shouldn’t.
This content was published on
Switzerland should stop this practice. Not only for the sake of its reputation, but also for its own benefit, argues Andrew Dornbierer.
The Davos set in decline: can the World Economic Forum save itself?
This content was published on
Battered by scandal, the Swiss-based WEF faces a moment of crisis. Insiders say its future may depend on the success of next year’s meeting.
This content was published on
From UN warnings in Geneva to eyewitness accounts from Gaza, Swissinfo documents two years of the Hamas-Israel war and its devastating humanitarian toll.
Timeline: Switzerland and the war in the Middle East since October 7, 2023
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Since October 7, 2023, Switzerland has repeatedly emphasised the need to end hostilities in the Middle East. However, its positions have attracted criticism.
UBS gaining support for compromise on Swiss capital rules
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Liberal and right-wing lawmakers and lobbyists are discussing proposal that could slash capital increase by $10 billion or more.
Why studying Eastern European history is so political
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The subject has always been heavily dependent on political cycles. An analysis by Eastern European historian Fabian Baumann.
Why Switzerland doesn’t recognise Palestine as a state
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Around 150 countries – or three-quarters of UN member states – recognise Palestinian statehood. Switzerland, for various reasons, is not one of them.
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The scandal at the Swiss food giant raises questions about its corporate culture and the health of its conglomerate model.
