The measures Switzerland has taken to cope with the coronavirus pandemic has strengthened its global reputation, according to the head of the government body that promotes the country’s image abroad.
“Coronavirus has more or less had a positive effect on the image of the country,” he told the newspaper.
Bideau believes Switzerland’s reputation has been enhanced by its medical and technical innovation, political management and international cooperation in the last few weeks.
In particular, Switzerland has received good marks following the response from pharmaceutical and other industries to the pandemic. Bideau pointed to Roche’s serological testing breakthrough and the development of a decentralised contact tracing app by the federal institutes of technology.
Switzerland has also attracted positive headlines for the way it has handled the crisis politically, said Bideau. Cooperation with other countries has extended to Swiss hospitals treating patients from neighbouring countries, dispelling the Swiss image of insularity, he added.
In addition, a number of positive anecdotal stories from Switzerland have been well received by people in other countries, Bideau said. These included Roger Federer’s tennis challenge and international press coverage of Switzerland’s forest walking trials.
“These small stories may not look much but they have a big impact,” he said.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
This content was published on
The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Record organ donation in Switzerland despite high rejection rates
This content was published on
More organ donations were recorded in Switzerland in 2023 than ever before. This was despite a high rejection rate of 58% by surviving relatives.
This content was published on
Seven years after the death of record-breaking Swiss mountain climber Ueli Steck, his estate is going to the Alpine Museum of Switzerland in Bern.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Contact tracing app ready this month, says expert
This content was published on
Marcel Salathé, who heads the expert group on digital epidemiology, told a press conference on Friday that the system being developed for Switzerland has met interest from Google and Apple but gave reassurances as to user privacy. It will be offered by the Swiss federal government as an App that people can download on a…
United States regulator approves Roche’s Covid-19 antibody test
This content was published on
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency approval for use of the serological test developed by the Swiss pharma giant.
Coronavirus: good French-Swiss relations mobilise to save lives
This content was published on
Cross-border solidarity is proving particularly valuable in the era of the pandemic: about 50 French patients are now being treated in Switzerland.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.