Switzerland Today

This content was published on June 25, 2024 - 18:00

5 minutes

Born in London, Simon is a multimedia journalist who has worked for www.swissinfo.ch since 2006. He speaks French, German and Spanish and focuses on science, technology and innovation issues.

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Following the heavy rains and devastating flash floods in the Swiss Alps last week, the search for two missing people continues in the Misox valley in canton Graubünden.

Attention has turned to assessments of the damage caused by the floods and landslides, the clean-up operation and repairs to key infrastructure, including important highways and buildings.

Read on for more news and stories from Switzerland.

Vladimir Putin and Sergey Roldugin — Vladimir Putin shakes the hand of Sergey Roldugin Keystone

In the news: missing people, bankers who helped Putin’s friend, more precise MeteoSwiss forecasts, more expensive flights and Rhône clean-up.

Fears are growing for three more people, including a father and son, who went missing in Switzerland during flooding over the past few days.
A Zurich court upheld on Tuesday a judgment against four bankers convicted last year of failing to perform due diligence in financial transactions after helping a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin move millions of francs through Swiss bank accounts.
MeteoSwiss promises to offer more accurate weather forecasts thanks to a new forecasting model called “ICONExternal link” that reproduces the complex topography of Switzerland with greater precision. This is particularly important for the Alpine region, where local events such as thunderstorms and mountain or valley winds often occur.
Workers must remove 7,000-9,000 m3 of wood that has accumulated at the mouth of the Rhône, near Le Bouveret in western Switzerland (see photo above). The Rhône has been swollen by heavy rains and meltwater in recent days.
Lufthansa will add an environmental charge of up to €72 ($77) to its fares, the airline group said on Tuesday. It is linked to new EU rules on reducing emissions, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from bio-based materials. Fares will go up between €1-72, depending on the type of ticket, on all flights departing from European Union countries, Britain, Norway and Switzerland. Some of the increases are effective from June 26 and others from 2025.

The highway A13 between Lostallo and Soazza destroyed by the force of the Moesa river, caused by heavy rain in the Misox valley, in Lostallo, southern Switzerland, on Sunday June 23, 2024. Massive thunderstorms and rainfall led to a flooding situation with large-scale landslides on Friday evening in the Misox valley, south-eastern Switzerland. Several dozen people had to be evacuated from their homes while three people are still missing on Sunday. (KEYSTONE/Michael Buholzer) — Keystone / Michael Buholzer

Holidaymakers encouraged to cross the Alps by train this summer after storms and floods.

After the closure of the A13 motorway in southern Switzerland due to damage (in photo above) caused by heavy rains and flash floods, the Swiss authorities have presented a series of measuresExternal link to help ease traffic congestion in the region.

Massive thunderstorms and rainfall on June 21 caused a landslide in the southeastern Swiss canton of Graubünden. The debris and flooding tore away some 200 metres of the A13 motorway, which runs from northeastern Switzerland to the southern canton of Ticino.

It’s unclear how long it will take to repair the damage to the San Bernardino route. On Tuesday, Transport Minister Albert Rösti said it would take around a week for the Moesa river to subside and only then can the actual road repairs begin.

It should be possible to open a single-lane highway in both directions in July, said Rösti. But the minister added that he could not commit to a fixed timetable and new storms were possible.

Swiss Federal Railways has promised to introduce additional north-south rail connections at weekends, and there will also be more capacity for freight traffic.

Following the incident last week, road traffic was quickly diverted, in particular on the A2 motorway, but also via the Simplon and the Great Saint-Bernard passes. The Swiss minister has also been in touch with other European capitals to pass the message that Switzerland should be bypassed by road travellers as much as possible.

Spying in Switzerland – a long hands-off story.

Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, around 500 Russian diplomats were expelled from European countries in the spring of 2022 – all suspected of espionage. Switzerland was about the only country that did not follow suit.

According to the Financial Times, the old model of “legal” Russian spies working out of embassies still holds in traditionally neutral countries such as Austria and Switzerland.

Security officials from both countries said there were around 150 known Russian agents still operating there under diplomatic cover. Another intelligence official from a different country estimated that nearly a third of Russia’s intelligence operations across the continent were now run from “the safe hubs” of Vienna and Geneva.

Swiss lawmakers believe it’s time to get tough on foreign spies. Last month, the upper house of parliament backed a motion to tighten measures to expel spies, taking particular aim at Russian intelligence agents. It instructed the Swiss government to expel anyone who endangers Swiss national security with illegal intelligence activities.

The impact of the motion is unclear. Decisions on expulsions of suspected spies will continue to be taken on a case-by-case basis, Defence Minister Viola Amherd said.

Geneva is one of the world’s espionage hotspots, and the Swiss authorities have long come to terms with it. In a new video, SWI swissinfo.ch visited four places that have left their mark on the history of espionage in Switzerland.