How the Swiss capital reacted to Trump’s win

The election of Donald Trump as US president had strong reverberations on the streets of the Swiss capital Bern, with some saying they were reduced to tears. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch) 

Early morning commuters outside the main train station in Bern were ready to share how they felt about the outcome of the US elections. Some said they had cried when the results came through and felt physically sick. Others expressed shock that the candidate had won. However some said there were still reasons to be hopeful.

Elsewhere in Switzerland, foreign minister Didier Burkhalter told Swiss public radio, RTS, on Wednesday: “The world changes, the United States changes, Switzerland doesn’t change in the same way. We are defending our Swiss interests and values. Switzerland can work with any US administration.”

The Swiss press were as surprised as anyone by Trump’s victory in the United States’ presidential election. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung said it was “The wrong president”, while the Tages-Anzeiger said Trump as president could turn everything on its head, from the global climate treaty to trade accords and the deal with Iran on nuclear weapons. Geneva’s Le Temps said it was a paradox that only the US is capable of producing.

Martin Naville, CEO of Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce on Trump’s election told swissinfo.ch that the election result is “certainly not good news for Swiss business”, as Trump “stands for trade protectionism”.