Four pages of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, as seen on Thursday (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Keystone
United States President Donald Trump feels exonerated by the Mueller report, but major Swiss newspapers are not so sure.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Swiss media/AP/Reuters/ilj
The 448-page redactedExternal link document came after a 22-month enquiry by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
It was released to great fanfare on Thursday and has been widely reported on in the Swiss media, with several main outlets offering editorials or analysis.
The Mueller report said that the president did not collude with the Russians, but it did not reach a firm conclusion on the issue of obstruction of justice. Trump’s legal team has said the report exonerates the president and Trump himself has tweeted,External link also again on Friday, his strong views on the issue (Game Over, says a tweet pinned to the top of his feed).
Not over yet
For the Neue Zürcher ZeitungExternal link, the Mueller text delivers important insights, but it would be foolish to believe that the never-ending discussion about Russian interference was now over.
“The expectation that the special counsel in the Russia affair would wash away the charged political atmosphere like a storm was wrong,” it said a commentary on Friday.
Le Temps’ US correspondent Valérie de Graffenried agreed,External link saying Trump was not “washed of all suspicion” and that the report left “many questions unanswered”. The opposition Democrats would increase the pressure, but the party was not mentioning impeachment as it was aware that this had no chance of succeeding, she wrote.
The Tages-AnzeigerExternal link, writing on Thursday evening, discussed what the Democrats, which have a majority in the House of Representatives, would do. It would be too risky to try to indict Trump in some way because there were not enough voices to support this in the Republican majority Senate.
Barr’s role
The newspaper also looked at the role of US Attorney-General William Barr, saying that his efforts to protect Trump – he held a news conference before the report was issued in which he backed the president – ended up doing the president a “huge disservice”. Barr’s move “would only serve to strengthen the Democrats appreciate for further explanation”, the editorial said.
On Friday, Congressional Democrats issued a legal demand to see all of Mueller’s Russia probe evidence, arguing that the redacted version left them in the dark.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
This content was published on
If this year’s World Economic Forum does indeed take place without US President Donald Trump, it won’t matter too much, say some Swiss media.
This content was published on
Switzerland and the United States have signed a new accord on vocational education; a possible free trade agreement is also in the works.
This content was published on
Swiss newspapers have lambasted US President Donald Trump for siding with long-time enemy Russia over his own intelligence agencies.
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.