National Day: President says Swiss Abroad needed now ‘more than ever’
“Switzerland needs you [...] now more than ever,” says Ignazio Cassis, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, in his August 1 message to Swiss citizens living abroad.
This content was published on
1 minute
Deutsch
de
Bundespräsident Cassis dankt der Fünften Schweiz
Original
Swiss emigrants and their families “build bridges and forge new paths”, Cassis added in the annual speech to the Swiss Abroad, thanking them for their role as ambassadors of their native country. “The ability to compromise, the power to innovate and our diversity – these are our strengths. Many of you abroad embody these qualities.”
Cassis’s remarks to the more than 800,000 Swiss settled abroad come ahead of the Alpine country’s national day, celebrated on August 1.
The world is going through difficult times, he said, noting that the pandemic had upended many people’s lives.
Cassis, also Swiss foreign minister, evoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “War and tanks have reappeared in Europe,” he said. “We thought those days were over, but we were wrong.” This is why we need to find solutions together, he said, just as solutions are needed for climate change, “which threatens our existence”.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Swiss reject biodiversity and pension reform proposals
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Swiss air traffic control upgrade slows tempo for safety reasons
This content was published on
The upgrade of Switzerland’s air traffic control system will take longer than anticipated following a series of malfunctions.
Switzerland remains ‘world’s most innovative country’
This content was published on
Switzerland remains the world's most innovative country, still ahead of Sweden and the US on the WIPO Global Innovation Index.
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
Ageing expats cause headache for government
This content was published on
Swiss retirees living abroad have been reminded by the government about self-responsibility, after more and more have been demanding help.
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.