Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,
 
The Swiss Armed Forces are once again generating negative headlines. This time it’s about the airspace surveillance system. The one currently in use urgently needs to be replaced, but the introduction of the new SkyView system has caused various problems, so the project has been “suspended”.
 
This basically means work on the project has been halted until sufficient information on necessary adjustments is available. This is the word from the army. As expected, politicians in Bern are not particularly pleased about the latest debacle.
 
Today’s topics also include Switzerland’s dual education system and how it inspires the United States, cost-cutting measures at PostBus and the Swiss cabaret artist Emil Steinberger, who has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

Keystone

Displeasure in Bern: The new airspace surveillance system has been suspended for eight months owing to serious problems.

The Swiss Armed Forces’ airspace surveillance system must be operational around the clock in order to recognise aircraft or drones in the Swiss sky in good time. It is also used to manage the air force’s missions. The existing system has been in operation for 20 years – and urgently needs to be replaced.

Parliament has therefore approved CHF300 million ($350 million) for the new SkyView system from the French defence company Thales. Since then, however, those responsible for the project in the army and the Federal Armaments Office have been struggling with problems. Research by Swiss public radio, SRF, has revealed that, unnoticed by the public, the army concluded in February that the risks of the project were too great. The project was “suspended” and cannot be realised until further notice.

People in Bern are concerned “that yet another IT project in the defence ministry is causing difficulties”, politician Josef Dittli told SRF. Fellow politician Werner Salzmann is concerned by the army’s statement that the old system will have to remain in use for longer. This increases the risk that Switzerland could one day find itself without a functioning airspace surveillance system, he says. Parliament is now dealing with the debacle surrounding the new airspace surveillance system.

• The reactions from Bern on SRFExternal link (in German).

Keystone

Switzerland’s dual education system inspires the US, and the two countries have now created a basis for exchanging apprentices.

The US and Switzerland want to cooperate more closely in the field of education. The two countries signed an international agreement in Bern today to promote vocational education and training. Specifically, this agreement enables Swiss and American citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 who are resident in Switzerland or the US to complete an internship or apprenticeship in the other country for four to 18 months.

The US ambassador in Bern, Scott Miller, is delighted with the agreement. “Over 200 Swiss companies are active in the US and 70% of them consider it important to train apprentices. This is in Switzerland’s DNA. By comparison, only 0.3% of American companies prioritise vocational training. We can learn a lot from Switzerland,” he told the newspaper Le Temps.

The agreement dates back to a visit by Jill Biden to Swiss companies and vocational schools in 2014. The system aroused great interest in vocational training among the then Second and current First Lady, who is also a college professor. In the US, many Swiss companies have often complained about the lack of qualified labour. This is where the new programme could help.

• Article at Le TempsExternal link (in French, paywall)

Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Swiss Post is on a cost-cutting course. After post office counters, it is now also making cuts to its postbuses.

As Swiss Post announced today, up to 70 employees are to be made redundant. In addition, up to 200 employees will have to expect changes to their contracts, including adjustments to their salary or workload. The job cuts themselves will not affect employees in the driving and control service, but the management and administrative structures will be affected.

With the cost-cutting measures announced today, Swiss Post intends to contribute to the current savings plans of the government, cantons and municipalities. These authorities order and co-finance regional and local passenger transport services. The measures are not expected to have any impact on passengers.

• Article from Swiss public broadcaster RSIExternal link (in Italian).

Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Swiss actor and cabaret artist Emil Steinberger (pictured yesterday) has been honoured for his life’s work at the Zurich Film Festival.

Old is he who no longer sees hair growing out of his nose and ears. Swiss actor and cabaret artist Emil Steinberger says this right at the beginning of the film Typisch Emil, which premiered at the Zurich Film Festival yesterday.

Steinberger, 91, certainly didn’t look old as he walked down the green carpet with his wife. Not even when he joined the ranks of Harrison Ford, John Travolta and Hans Zimmer and was honoured with the lifetime achievement award.

Steinberger has been making Switzerland laugh for 70 years, said those responsible for the award. “No other Swiss cabaret artist and actor is so skilful at lovingly exaggerating typical Swiss character traits with a wink, so that we always end up laughing a little at ourselves, which is good for us.”

• Insights into Emil Steinberger’s appearance on the green carpet can be found at CH MedienExternal link (in German).

Keystone

Photo of the day

Magic in the night sky: this year, solar activity is high, which is why we have seen the Northern Lights several times. This was also the case last night, as here in Forch, Zurich.