Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad

Starting today, we are expanding our coverage.

Every weekday, you will receive more stories from Switzerland, curated especially for you. We believe this is the best way to keep you informed about your home country. We are now integrating media from all regions of Switzerland, and you will encounter writers from different linguistic backgrounds. However, you will always receive a briefing in English.

This means more Switzerland, more perspectives and more variety.

We are delighted that you are reading our news coverage coming out of Switzerland and stories about the Swiss Abroad from all over the world.

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Former Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer back in the spotlight

Former Finance Minister Ueli Maurer is once again making headlines due to his involvement in the Credit Suisse debacle. Maurer was finance minister when the major Swiss bank Credit Suisse began its steep decline, raising questions about his knowledge and actions at the time.

A parliamentary commission of inquiry is currently investigating the collapse of Credit Suisse, with its report expected in November. The SonntagsZeitung obtained a draft of this report and is revealing Maurer’s role in autumn 2022. According to the newspaper, from October 2022 until the end of the year, Maurer held regular, secret meetings with Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann and Swiss National Bank Chairman Thomas Jordan.

The SonntagsZeitung reports that “nothing was recorded, and no one was informed”, which would be a violation of the rules established by the Federal Council following the UBS bailout in 2008.

Maurer’s statement earlier this year – “In autumn 2022, I believed that Credit Suisse could no longer be saved” – appears inconsistent with his repeated assurances to his Federal Council colleagues that everything was fine: “Enjoy the Christmas holidays,” he said.

(Read more on tagesanzeiger.chExternal link – paywall)

Keystone

Switzerland in Focus

Over a thousand alphorn players gathered on the Klewenalp in canton Nidwalden on Saturday, setting a new world record. They played choral melodies together, breaking the record for the largest alphorn ensemble.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Swiss Eurovision organiser: ‘The event is too big for one broadcaster’

Since Nemo’s victory in May at the Eurovision Song Contest, Switzerland has been faced with the challenge of organising Europe’s largest television event within a year. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), which includes us at SWI swissinfo.ch, is responsible for the event, with Basel announced as the host city last week.

One of the two chief producers, Moritz Stadler, explained in Le Temps why two Swedish experts had already joined the Swiss production team. “The event is too big for any one broadcaster; we need their expertise and networks,” Stadler said. Sweden hosted the 2024 show. He clarified that while the SBC is producing the show, it is not responsible for the competition itself.

Stadler identified time management as the biggest challenge. “We are constantly working against the clock.” In contrast, major sporting events often have several years of preparation, while “we have to be ready within eight months”.

(Read more on Letemps.chExternal link – paywall)

Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

Canton Ticino celebrates as Gotthard Base Tunnel re-opens

Canton Ticino is breathing a sigh of relief as the Swiss Federal Railways resumes service through the Gotthard Base Tunnel after a one-year interruption, bringing visitors back to the region.

Travellers from cantons Zurich or Lucerne can once again reach Lugano in canton Ticino in less than two hours – excellent news for canton Ticino, which hopes to see the return of day-trippers from German-speaking Switzerland. “Today is a good day for Switzerland, but also for the entire continent,” said Transport Minister Albert Rösti.

The tunnel had been closed for repairs following a derailment, forcing trains to use the older Gotthard route, which added over an hour to the journey.

Ticino Tourism anticipates a revival in visitor numbers with the re-opening, as it “brings the region closer to the north again”. Angelo Trotta, director of Ticino Tourism, estimates the losses in the tourism industry to be at least CHF10 million ($12 million). To boost visitor numbers, Ticino Tourism is now distributing “rocket glasses” in Swiss-German swimming pools with the message: “Your summer goes on.” It has been a tough year for Ticino’s tourism, partly due to the cold and rainy weather.

(Read more on RSI.chExternal link)

Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Bern and Brussels: what will new bilateral agreements cost Switzerland?

As Bern and Brussels negotiate new bilateral agreements, the financial implications for Switzerland remain uncertain. However, some figures are now available.

One key question is the cost of Switzerland’s access to the European Union market. The cost-benefit ratio is highly controversial in the current negotiations, especially as it includes intangible factors such as the potential loss of sovereignty over issues such as immigration control.

However, it is now possible to quantify how much Switzerland has paid the EU in Swiss francs to date. A parliamentary motion requested these figures, and Blick is now reporting on them.

Switzerland’s participation in the Horizon research programme was the most expensive item, costing CHF1.16 billion ($1.36 billion) from 2019 to 2023. This was also a kind of entry fee, as the EU had previously excluded Switzerland from the programme. In total, Switzerland paid CHF1.8 billion for bilateral agreements between 2019 and 2023, in addition to CHF280 million in contributions to member states, CHF130 million in implementation costs, and CHF460 million related to tax agreements.

(Read the full list on blick.chExternal link – paywall)

Translated from German by Alexandra Andrist/ts