Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

I hope this message finds you enjoying the festive season or preparing to do so – perhaps planning a ski trip like many in Switzerland. Take care, though: accidents on the slopes are on the rise. Do everything you can to avoid becoming part of the statistics, as I unfortunately did two years ago.

A safer option might be indulging in the lavish traditional meals of the season. On that note, several Swiss newspapers have highlighted the nation’s eating habits, revealing that a significant portion of food expenditure goes towards meat.

Taking a break in Switzerland this holiday season is future Swiss astronaut Marco Sieber, whose story we’ll touch on at the end of this briefing.

Have a good read!

EPA/VALENTIN FLAURAUD

Ski slope accidents increasing in Switzerland

Approximately 35,000 people sustain injuries annually on Swiss ski slopes. The main culprits are lack of preparation, over-exertion, and overestimating one’s abilities.

These accidents, and the age of those involved, have been increasing steadily, according to a study by the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (Suva). In 2022, 56% of injured skiers were over 40 years old, compared to 39% in 2003.

“After an accident in snow sports,” Suva’s website notes, “it takes individuals an average of 22 days to recover and return to work.” Companies in Switzerland face over 800,000 days of absences each year due to such accidents. Notably, individuals aged 40 to 64 account for more than 470,000 lost workdays annually – a 40% increase over the past 15 years.

• The news reported by Swiss public radio, RTSExternal link and RSIExternal link (in French and Italian)
• Suva press releaseExternal link

KEYSTONE/DPA/Jan Woitas

Meat consumption rises over the festive season

Christmas in Switzerland sees a noticeable increase in meat consumption. Swiss people also enjoy meat throughout the year – albeit less than the average for OECD countries.

On average, Swiss households spend 20% of their food budget on meat, according to an analysis by Proviande, the trade association for the meat industry, as reported by newspapers the Tages-Anzeiger and Berner Zeitung.

There is no official data on the average consumption of meat in Switzerland, but in 2023, the per capita supply (amount of meat offered in the restaurant and retail trade) stood at 48.43 kilograms. This figure also takes into account waste (e.g. bones) and animal feed, but not meat bought abroad.

It is safe to assume that average meat consumption in Switzerland remains well above the recommended maximum adult meat consumption of 18.7 kilograms per year according to the Swiss federal government and the Swiss Nutrition Society. However, Swiss consumption remains far below the OECD average of 70 kilograms per capita annually.

• The article in the Berner ZeitungExternal link (in German)
• The meat market in figures, on the Proviande websiteExternal link

Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Swiss astronaut Marco Sieber on holiday

Marco Sieber, who will be the second Swiss in space after Claude Nicollier, is currently undergoing training at the European Space Agency (ESA). While on holiday in Switzerland for the Christmas period, he spoke to Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger about his training, how he deals with stress and whether he believes in extraterrestrial life.

Sieber, who received a degree in medicine from the University of Bern, has a passion for skydiving and scuba diving. Sieber likes to push himself to the limit, he tells the Tages-Anzeiger. “Seeking my limits, pushing them and improving myself is something that has always motivated me,” he says, while admitting that he is also very good at “doing nothing” and relaxing. He doesn’t like monotony though. “If I had a job where I did the same thing every day, I would be bored,” he says.

Training at the ESA is “exciting” for the 35-year-old from canton Bern. He admits it can be difficult at times, but he says it is not designed to be overwhelming: “The aim is not to knock us out and prevent us from finishing the training”.

Sieber also spent six months at NASA in Houston where he learned a lot about the systems of the International Space Station (ISS), which he will join no earlier than 2027. Sieber acknowledges there’s a steep learning curve: “It was a challenge. Maybe I don’t understand the systems in as much detail as my colleague, who is an engineer. But I understand enough.”

• The full interview in the Tages-AnzeigerExternal link

Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi

Picture of the day

I sign off today with a Christmas-themed photograph taken on the Place du Molard in Geneva, and take the opportunity to wish you a happy holidays!

Translated from Italian using DeepL/amva/jdp