Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad

Brahms, Beethoven, or Vivaldi: since May, commuters arriving in or departing from the main railway station in Bern are being met with the sound of classical music. (Unless they’re like me, wearing headphones and shamefully oblivious to their surroundings).
 
The classical tunes are being played for a very Swiss reason: efficiency. The Swiss Federal Railways uses the tunes to drive away people who gather and sometimes loiter in front of the station entrance, making it easier for people in a rush to get to their trains.
 
Also in today’s briefing, we cover proposed changes to Swiss law that should better support victims of domestic violence, Switzerland’s return to the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2025 and a Swiss family who is witnessing hurricane Milton in Florida.

Happy reading!

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Live media coverage and social media feeds are full of accounts of the powerful Hurricane Milton, which has struck the US state of Florida. The Hoffmann family from Switzerland is in the thick of it, experiencing the storm from their holiday home.

Since they first heard the storm was approaching, they wondered if they should stay or leave. “We have considered several possibilities. And we decided time and again to sit it out,” says Nadine Hoffmann.

Their holiday home is located in evacuation zone C. Until Tuesday morning, only people living in zones A and B had to evacuate. Then the news came: people living in zone C should also leave the area. “But where should we go? I’d rather be in this house during the storm than in a car. The house is well built, the windows are hurricane-proof,” Hoffmann told SRF.

The family is doing their best to maintain some normality, especially for the children. “I don’t fear for my life. But there is an unease about the unknown,” Hoffmann said before the storm hit.

• SRFExternal link article (in German)

Keystone / Peter Schneider

In Switzerland, over 19,000 cases of domestic violence were registered last year, and an average of two people die each month as a result of domestic violence – most of them women and girls. Now, the Federal Council wants to strengthen support for the victims.

Victims throughout Switzerland should have access to high-quality medical and forensic services, Justice Minister Beat Jans said at a press conference. Therefore, the proposed law ensures that each canton sets up contact points with specialised personnel, and injuries or traces of offence must be forensically documented.

The aim is to be able to quickly and efficiently document investigations into an act of violence and provide evidence for subsequent prosecution. The costs for this forensic documentation are primarily covered by the canton; the victim does not have to pay anything.

The Federal Council hopes that these measures will encourage victims to press charges, as the new law also gives them more time to decide whether to do so. “The revision could therefore have a positive effect on reporting rates and increase the number of criminal convictions,” says Jans.

According to a report by the Department of Justice, a study by the Lausanne University Hospital showed that 81% of the patients concerned used the records of their injuries as evidence. The Federal Council’s proposal will now be evaluated by the political parties, associations and cantons.

• RSIExternal link article (in Italian)

Keystone / Valentin Flauraud

After a five-year absence, Switzerland will return to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council from January next year until the end of 2027.

The UN General Assembly re-elected Switzerland to the Council with 175 out of 183 eligible votes. Since Switzerland’s last term as one of the 47 members of the Council, the Alpine country has been able to take part in discussions but has not been able to vote on draft resolutions.

In recent years, Switzerland had not pursued membership to avoid any confusion with its bid for a seat on the UN Security Council in New York. Its two-year mandate on the UN’s most powerful body is due to expire at the end of December.

In its three-year term of office on the Human Rights Council, Switzerland intends to advocate for a strong body. Among other things, Switzerland would like to increase the reach of human rights throughout the UN system, specifically by ensuring that civil society can contribute or by supporting a global monitoring and investigations mechanism for serious violation of these rights.

However, the United Nations Human Rights Council is controversial, both in terms of voting behaviour and its composition, as states violating human rights themselves can protect each other in votes. 

• RTSExternal link article (in French)

Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Since May, people commuting to or from Bern are greeted with classical music in the train station entrance area. But the violin and piano tunes are not only meant to please classical music enthusiasts.

Rather, the Swiss Federal Railways have used these melodies in a pilot project to drive away people who had gathered in front of the station entrance – and to make it easier for commuters to rush to their trains.

Five months after launching the pilot project, the Swiss Federal Railways is pleased with the results and intends to continue using music to un-block the entrance. But as the French saying goes: “C’est le ton qui fait la musique”: the best type of music for the job seems to depend on the time of day. According to the pilot project results, ambient sound seems to be more efficient in the morning whereas classical music does the trick after noon.

To compile the perfect playlist, the Swiss Federal Railways has now commissioned an external agency. Whether commuters at further Swiss railway stations will soon hear music while catching their train has not yet been decided and will be reviewed “depending on the situation”.

The tactic is not unheard of: In Heerbrugg in canton St. Gallen, classical tunes are played over loudspeakers at the station and in Munich’s underground stations, the background music aims to make people feel more safe – apparently with success.

• Article by BlickExternal link (in German)

Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Photo of the day

It is the time of the year when the discussion of whether mustard belongs on a “St Galler Bratwurst” reaches its peak: the 81^st edition of the Olma, the Swiss trade fair for agriculture and food, officially launched today.

As every year, a member of the Federal Council attended the opening ceremony. President Viola Amherd was bestowed with the honor, which also included a photoshoot with piglet Leonie.