Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Is the Eurovision Song Contest in trouble? Could Switzerland’s system of direct democracy mean it will have to be held in another country if the locals don’t want it?

Switzerland brought in an unprecedented amount of tourism revenue last year. Keystone/Urs Flueeler

In the news:  Tourism records, punctual bill payment, a Swiss-US plan to exchange financial data, and a new top gun at SWISS.

Revenue from foreign guests in Switzerland rose again last year. The Swiss also spent more money travelling abroad. In both cases, previous tourism records from the pre-Covid period were surpassed.

Swiss companies have a high level of payment discipline and occupy a leading position in Northern Europe. In a European comparison, only companies in Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands were found to pay more punctually than those in Switzerland.

Switzerland and the United States plan to exchange financial data from 2027 to help both sides track down tax evaders. A corresponding agreement was signed in Bern yesterday, although Swiss law will have to be amended before the change can be implemented.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has found a successor to CEO Dieter Vranckx, who will step down at the end of June. Jens Fehlinger will take over as CEO on October 1, the airline announced today. Fehlinger was responsible for the Lufthansa Group’s crisis management office during the Covid pandemic and subsequently headed up the “ReNew” restructuring project.

Jojo Mayer preparing to play with his project “Me/Machine” SWI swissinfo.ch/Carlo Pisani

Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer is one of the most influential musicians of recent decades, known both as a skilled technician and a visionary. He talks to SWI swissinfo.ch about technology, tradition – and the future of music.

Born in Switzerland, Mayer was already an internationally active jazz drummer when he moved to New York in the 1990s. There, he became famous with his band, Nerve, which played electronic music with mostly conventional instruments.

Since the pandemic, he has been back in his hometown, Zurich. Covid hit the music scene hard, leading to cancelled concerts. However, the two-year hiatus also gave musicians time to immerse themselves in projects they would not have found the time for otherwise. This is how his latest initiative, “Me/Machine”, came about. In our latest “On the Record” video interview, Mayer explains all.

Bern Keystone / Peter Schneider

The citizens of the city of Bern ought to be able to have their say on the CHF7 million ($7.8 million) loan for organising the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, say some local politicians. If voters follow the example of the Olympics, Eurovision could be in trouble.

This loan will be submitted to parliament on Thursday. However, Alexander Feuz, spokesman for the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, says he will propose that this amount be approved by the people. If his proposal is rejected, the People’s Party is prepared to launch a referendum, he continuedExternal link. Simone Machado from the Alternative Green Party said she supported the move.

Under the slogan “Bern United”, the cities of Bern and Biel/Bienne, home of this year’s winner Nemo, are competing with Zurich, Basel and Geneva to host the competition in May 2025. Biel/Bienne is expected to contribute CHF1 million. The government of canton Bern will submit a request to the cantonal parliament for a loan to meet the high security requirements; the federal government will also be approached.

The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), SWI swissinfo.ch’s parent company, and the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are examining the applications and will be making site visits. The decision is expected at the end of August, leaving no time for a referendum.

Feuz says organising a Eurovision contest in the Swiss capital is totally unrealistic: Zurich and Geneva have much more suitable sites, he reckons. Feuz also believes that the event is difficult to reconcile with the city government’s climate policy objectives and the city’s strained finances.

It’s not known how keen the residents of Bern are on Eurovision, but if Swiss bids for the Winter Olympics are anything to go by, the music competition could be in trouble. Switzerland hosted the Games in 1928 and 1948, both times in the upscale resort of St Moritz, but citizens have shown little appetite in recent years. Between 2013 and 2018 locals rejected three attempts to organise Olympics in different parts of the country.