Switzerland Today

Greetings from Lausanne!

Here are the latest news and stories from Switzerland on Monday.

Keystone / Martial Trezzini

In the news: Covid fines, summer tourism and an Italian mafia boss.

• Swiss National Bank (SNB) Vice Chair Fritz Zurbrügg will retire at the end of July 2022, the bank announced on Monday. 
• Overnight tourist stays in Switzerland picked up in summer, according to new figures. Swiss hotels saw an increase of 80% more tourists from other countries during the summer months compared with the same period in 2020 when Switzerland was in lockdown. 
• Blick reportsExternal link that since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, over 14,000 fines have been handed out in Switzerland for violations of national Covid-19 rules, such as illegal demonstrations or not wearing a mask. 
• The Federal Court has confirmed that a Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia boss, who was extradited to Italy in 2017, cannot enter Switzerland for 20 years. He used to live and work for several years in canton Valais. 

Keystone / Yoan Valat

Confusion stills surrounds the journey from Switzerland to France by a group of Afghan migrants. 

A group of 41 Afghan migrants, including 18 minors, who arrived in Paris by TGV train last week from Zurich claim the Swiss authorities sent them and paid for their train journey, according to the Le Parisien newspaperExternal link.  

The Bern authorities deny knowledge of the case and have requested further information.   

Since the summer, there has been a marked increaseExternal link in the number of Afghan migrants trying to cross into Switzerland from neighbouring Austria. People who enter Switzerland illegally from Austria are generally caught and transferred to the St Gallen police for readmission back to Austria. 

The Federal Customs Administration says any adults who do not request asylum are expelled from Switzerland. They have seven days to leave the country independentlyExternal link. “Train tickets are not covered,” they say. 

On the French side, police checks have been stepped up, say news reports. Some migrants arriving on French territory were arrested and returned to Switzerland.  

© Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

The Covid pandemic continues to reveal differences between regions and neighbours in the Alps. 

Swiss public television RTS reportsExternal link that in the huge Portes du Soleil ski region, which straddles Switzerland and France, Covid rules clearly differ on each side of the border.  

In French resorts skiers must show a Covid certificate to be able to buy a lift pass; masks must also be worn on all lifts, including drag lifts. But this is not the case in Switzerland, where skiers must only wear a mask on lifts. 

“There have always been different rules on each side of the border. It’s not insurmountable,” explains Benjamin Arvis-Maxit, head of marketing for the Dents du Midi region.  

There won’t be piste police, he adds. “We are not there to act like police, we just want to ensure people respect the rules.” 

The Portes du Soleil claims to be the “the largest ski area in the Alps”, with 600km of pistes. It includes Swiss resorts such as Morgins and Champery, and Avoriaz and Morzine on the French side. 

Keystone / Robin Utrecht

The Netherlands overtakes Switzerland as the “most globalised country” in the world.

According to a survey by the KOF Swiss Economic InstituteExternal link, the most globalised countries in the world are the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium; the Netherlands has replaced Switzerland at the top of the rankings. The survey does not include the effects of the pandemic.

There is not much in it between the three countries, according to the KOF authors.

“All three countries have high foreign trade ratios and strong financial sectors. The three countries play a significant role politically and are therefore a focal point for many international non-​governmental organisations and institutions. The Netherlands is particularly characterised by a very high degree of economic globalisation,” it wrote.

Most goods shipped to Europe pass through the Dutch port of Rotterdam (see photo above). The country is also an attractive business location for companies and the financial sector due to several factors, including tax. The move up in the ranking is partly due to Brexit to the detriment of the UK.

Keystone / Lisa Maire

Renowned Swiss architect and urban designer Aurelio Galfetti has passed away aged 85.

Aurelio Galfetti was one of the most prominent “Ticino School” of architects in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland.

His most famous works can be seen in the city of Bellinzona where he designed the public baths, the post office building and restored the ancient Castelgrande fortification (see photo above).

But Galfetti was also active abroad, most notably in Italy, the Netherlands and Greece.

“His work and his thinking had the most significant influence on the architectural culture in the Canton of Ticino and Switzerland from the ’60s until today,” wrote the Università della Svizzera Italiana in a testament. Galfetti established the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture at the univsersity where he taught for many years.External link