Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
This morning the Swiss parliament elected a new member to the seven-seat governing Federal Council: Martin Pfister. A loud “whoop!” was heard from Pfister’s family in the parliamentary balcony, but the man himself was not present in the chamber at the time of the announcement, as he is not a member of parliament.
Previously dubbed the “big unknown” by the press due to both his large stature and his relative obscurity in federal politics, Pfister is now stepping into the spotlight.
Sunny regards from Bern,
Relatively unknown until a few weeks ago, Martin Pfister from canton Zug has joined the Swiss government. He beat out the influential St Gallen parliamentarian and leader of the farmers’ lobby, Markus Ritter.
The suspense in the federal parliament was short-lived this morning. In the second round, the Federal Assembly elected Martin Pfister to replace outgoing Defence Minister Viola Amherd on the Federal Council. The 61-year-old centrist from Zug received 134 votes, while Ritter received 110. This is quite a feat, given that the last time a non-parliamentarian was elected to the government was when Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf was elected in 2007.
“I’ve often said that I know the barracks better than the Federal Palace. Today, I feel at home in both places,” Pfister said, addressing parliament following his election. “The Federal Council plays a central role in building public confidence in politics,” he said, emphasising the importance of collegiality.
A colonel in the army, Pfister will likely take over the defence ministry, vacated by Amherd. It promises to be a difficult task, as the department is facing a number of problems: projects behind schedule, budget overruns and the successive resignations of the heads of the army and the intelligence service.
The parties reacted to the election of centrist Martin Pfister to the Federal Council. After congratulating the newly elected candidate, some expressed scepticism, especially on the left of the political spectrum.
The Greens were particularly critical of the new minister. “With the election of Martin Pfister, the government is moving even further to the right,” said the Green Party in a press release. It believes that the strengthening of the centre-right and conservative bloc threatens both environmental protection and social justice.
The Social Democratic Party also interpreted the election as “a worrying turn to the right” by the Federal Council. Party Co-President Mattea Meyer also regretted that there are now only two women in government. “This hurts at a time when male domination is once again beginning to take hold,” she told Swiss public television, SRF.
The Radical-Liberal Party demanded that Pfister act quickly if he were to take over the defence ministry. “Our armaments industry is on the brink of collapse. Switzerland lacks an overall strategy,” said the party on social network X. Jacqueline de Quattro, member of the Radical-Liberal Party, described the election of Pfister as a “choice of confidence”, saying that he had left an impression of consensus.
“There are a lot of unknowns with this new Federal Councillor. He will be eagerly awaited,” said Nicolas Kolly, a member of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which had indicated its preference for Markus Ritter.
Centre Party parliamentarian Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter on today’s Federal Council election: “This was an election for the Swiss Abroad. Martin Pfister understands what it means to be an expat and has family ties abroad. With this election, parliament has given the Swiss Abroad a voice in the Federal Council.”
International organisations in Geneva have reportedly received questionnaires from Washington, raising concerns about their alignment with US interests.
Among the 36 questions were “Does this project strengthen the sovereignty of the United States by reducing dependence on international organizations or global governance structures?”, “Do the partner projects relate to climate change or abortion?”, “Do they strengthen the US’s independence in energy supplies and supply chains?”, “Can you confirm that your organization does not collaborate with actors associated with communist, socialist, or totalitarian actors, or with any actor who espouses anti-American views?”.
The first to report on this development was Geneva-based journalist Philippe Mottaz, in his newsletter “Hashtag Trump”.
The questionnaire circulating in Geneva is strikingly similar to one sent by Trump advisor Elon Musk to US government agencies. Musk claims he aims to increase government efficiency and reduce bureaucracy, but in practice, it appears to be a complete overhaul.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday that he would shut down 83% of all USAID programmes, effectively making the US government’s payment freeze – originally declared temporary – permanent for most partner organisations.
According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), organisations contacted must submit their responses by the end of August.
Meat smuggling in Switzerland is becoming increasingly professionalised. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security reported that 263 tonnes of illegally imported meat was detected in 2023 – more than double the 120 tonnes recorded in 2022.
Smuggled meat is bought abroad at low prices and resold in Switzerland at significantly higher rates, bypassing taxes and customs duties. According to Jean-Claude Duvoisin, a senior official at the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, the trade is so lucrative that it can be more profitable than drug trafficking, due to its lower risks.
These international smuggling networks operate through multiple companies to disguise the origin of the goods. Smuggling operations involve several players: organisers handle procurement, while couriers transport the goods across borders, often getting paid per kilo.
The most commonly smuggled meats include beef, chicken, and lamb, alongside exotic and wild game meat, some of which violate food safety and species protection laws. However, authorities assure that the risk of contaminated meat reaching consumers remains low.
While minor offences result in fines and repayment of avoided taxes, systematic offenders face up to one year in prison and deportation. Buyers who knowingly purchase smuggled meat can also be prosecuted. In Geneva, two convicted meat smugglers recently used fake companies to evade nearly CHF900,000 ($1,019,364) in customs duties and taxes. Legal meat imports into Switzerland totalled 105,000 tonnes last year, with smuggled meat accounting for just 0.2% of the overall supply. Authorities have stepped up investigations, deploying special task forces to combat the trade.
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