Switzerland Today

Hello Swiss around the world,

you may have spent your winter holidays in the Swiss mountains or might be planning to do so. You may have also noticed that the cost of accommodation is rising. This is due to a shortage of housing, which is particularly acute in tourist resorts in the Alps.

The problem has to got to the point where housing has become unaffordable for the locals . In Ftan, Graubünden, this has led to conflict between residents and second-home owners. I tell you all about it in today’s briefing.

Also in today’s briefing: the Nestlé bottled water scandal and the collapse of Tesla sales are making headlines in the Swiss press.

Happy reading, and have a great weekend.

Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

“All our water today is pure at source,” Nestlé Waters CEO Muriel Lienau told Agence France-Presse, reacting to an investigation by French media revealing that local authorities had allowed the Swiss group to market non-compliant water.

An investigation by French media revealed that authorities had allowed the Swiss group to market non-compliant water.

“The food safety of our products has never been at stake, and consumer health safety has always been assured. The mineral composition of our waters has never been altered. […] We have never put pressure on any public decision-maker,” says Lienau, who took over as head of the Swiss group’s new water division (Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages) in January. However, she called for clarification of the microfiltration processes used on mineral water in France.

She denounces the information as “anxiety-provoking” for consumers and the 1,500 employees of Nestlé Waters in France. She was referring to an investigation by Le Monde and Radio France, which accused the French government of bowing to Nestlé’s lobbying and allowing the group to sell bottled water with illegal filters. The scandal comes a year after initial revelations about banned treatments used by Nestlé to address contamination issues.

In France, a parliamentary commission of inquiry is currently investigating practices in the bottled water industry. Lienau maintains that Nestlé’s microfiltration process is not the same as disinfection (which is prohibited for mineral water). However, according to Radio France and Le Monde, the Occitanie regional health agency has concluded that the group’s microfiltration has a “proven disinfectant effect”.

• Read the Keystone-SDA news agency report on SWI swissinfo.ch (in English)
• The investigation by French media, Le MondeExternal link (in French)

Keystone / DPA / Patrick Pleul

Sales of Tesla electric cars are declining in Switzerland and across Europe, with company CEO Elon Musk seen as one of the reasons for the downturn.

In Switzerland, Tesla sales fell by 27% compared with the same month last year. Since the start of the year, only 240 Tesla vehicles have been registered in the country, according to Tamedia newspapers. The decline is even steeper elsewhere in Europe: Tesla sales in January fell by 75% in Spain, 63% in France and 59% in Germany.

Experts suggest that Musk’s dual role as business leader and political figure is contributing to the slump. German-language newspapers note that his political statements are polarising and deterring customers. After Musk publicly expressed support for Germany’s far-right AfD party, some German companies decided to boycott the brand.

“We need financial incentives to encourage the sale of electric cars,” Peter Grünenfelder, president of Auto-Suisse, the association of official car importers, told the press. He is calling for the abolition of the 4% import tax and the introduction of tax deductions for electric charging stations. Analysts cited in the reports expect vehicle prices to drop in the second half of the year.

• Read the article in the Tamedia newspapersExternal link (subscription, in German)

Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Switzerland risks losing its status as a top destination for global music stars, warns André Béchir, one of the country’s most prominent concert organisers.

AC/DC, Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen – Béchir has brought many big name performers to Switzerland. This year, the 75-year-old is also supporting concerts by Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue. However, he says it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract top acts.

“All over the world, new stadiums and venues are being built or planned,” Béchir told CH Media newspapers. He pointed to projects in Vienna, Munich and Milan. “Only in Switzerland are we making do with what we have. When it comes to stadiums and venues, we’re stuck in the 1980s.” In his view, existing infrastructure no longer meets the demands of modern tours.

Neither investors nor politicians are prepared to support a major concert venue project in Switzerland, he says. “We don’t need to copy Las Vegas and build a second ‘Sphere’, but we do need a plan for the next 10 to 20 years that addresses the needs of artists, sporting events and the public,” he argues. He suggests building a modern venue in Zurich-Nord, which he considers an ideal location.

• Read the full article in the Aargauer ZeitungExternal link (subscription, in German)

Ppr Media Relations Ag

Tourist villages in the Alps are facing a housing crisis, making it increasingly difficult for locals to find accommodation. The dispute that has erupted in Ftan, Engadine, is a telling example of the wider problem.

Two housing cooperatives were planned in Ftan to help alleviate the accommodation shortage in the Engadine region by providing affordable flats. However, the project has stalled due to objections from 13 neighbouring property owners – most of them second-home owners.

This has sparked a fierce dispute between locals and second-home owners. Frustrated, the project’s architect published an open letter: “We even planned a distance three times greater than required. And you still don’t want us to build? Shame on you!”

Residents of the village share his frustration. “In a few years, Ftan will be one big museum – second-home owners will have their holiday retreats, and all the locals will be gone,” lamented one resident. The 13 opponents of the project have refused to comment publicly, stating only that they were unaware it was a housing cooperative. However, they maintain that the plan is illegal.

• Read the full article and watch the video in BlickExternal link (in German)

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Picture of the day

Le Corbusier, the artist and architect from La Chaux-de-Fonds, is the focus of a new exhibition at Bern’s Paul Klee Centre, on show from Saturday until June 22. Visitors will discover a wide range of works highlighting the way in which art enriched the thinking and architectural achievements of the Franco-Swiss.

Translated from French using DeepL/amva