The Week in Switzerland

Dear Swiss Abroad,
 
Welcome to our selection of some of the biggest – and most colourful – stories in Switzerland over the past seven days.
 
“The World of Banksy” (pictured on Tuesday) is a permanent exhibition in Saxon, southwest Switzerland. On display are more than 140 copies of works by British street artist Banksy, who is not involved in the exhibition.
 
From raw art to raw milk. One of our most popular stories this week examined the murky legal situation in Switzerland involving the drink. We also look at the Hamas attacks in Israel exactly a year ago, a campaign urging people to stock up on emergency food supplies and what a second Trump term could mean for Switzerland.

The big stories of the week

Tribute in Zurich to the victims of the Hamas attack in Israel Keystone-SDA

Monday marked the first anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel. In Switzerland, numerous commemorations took place on Sunday, notably at synagogues. The rise in anti-Semitism was also discussed.

The Swiss government’s representative at a ceremony in Bern’s synagogue said there was no justification for the acts of violence, aggression and insults to which Swiss Jews are also subjected.

Nearly 500 people also gathered in Geneva to demand the release of the 101 hostages still held by Palestinian military group Hamas in Gaza. Their photos were displayed on the Place des Nations Square, along with those of some 370 young people killed at the Nova music festival in Israel one year ago.

• Swiss call for peace on eve of anniversary of October 7 terrorist attack
• Memorial service held in Bern for October 7 attack victims
• Swiss president remembers victims of October 7 attack

© Keystone / Gaetan Bally

On Tuesday the federal authorities and retailers launched a national campaign urging people to stock up on emergency food supplies.

“Emergency stocks are a simple and highly effective measure in times of crisis, ensuring self-sufficiency for a few days,” a statement said. The information campaign will officially kick off on International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on Sunday.

During the Cold War, it was common for Swiss families to keep a reserve of food and essential goods at home. However, this practice has faded. Now, in light of the Covid pandemic and recent natural disasters, the authorities want to revive it.

The campaign offers not only theoretical guidance but also practical tools, tips and a calculator to help households build their emergency supplies according to their specific needs.

• Article by tvsvizzera.it (in Italian)
• Stockpiling – a Swiss civic duty

Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Higher tariffs, less NATO? What Trump 2.0 could mean for Switzerland.

Many people in Europe are hoping that Kamala Harris will be elected President of the United States next month, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) wrote on MondayExternal link. Harris is slightly ahead in the polls, but the race remains open. The foreign policy thinktank foraus this week analysed what it could mean for Switzerland if Trump were to become president again.

The authors reckoned that a second Trump administration would be better prepared and more effective than in the first term, without becoming more predictable. Trade policy would be particularly affected. Although Switzerland is unlikely to be more affected by the threatened tariffs than other countries, there could be significant barriers to trade. Reduced support for NATO, Ukraine and Taiwan would also jeopardise Switzerland’s security situation.

Foraus only marginally addressed the consequences of a Harris win. A Democratic government would be more predictable and work more constructively with allies, it predicted. However, some tectonic shifts in American foreign policy have occurred independently of the election. For example, the gradual retreat from Europe and the strengthening of national security considerations in foreign economic policy do not bode well for Switzerland.

• The foraus reportExternal link (in German)
• Dialogue debate: Harris vs Trump: Who is better for the world and Switzerland?External link

The children’s hospital in Zurich-Lengg . Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Zurich has a “staggering, revolutionary” new children’s hospital.

After six years of construction, the children’s hospital (Kispi) in Zurich-Lengg was inaugurated on October 1. The building by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, which cost over CHF760 million ($885 million), will open its doors on November 2.

On Wednesday British newspaper The Guardian profiled the buildingExternal link, noting that “from the chalet-style patient ‘cottages’ to the walls designed for scribbling on, Herzog & de Meuron’s Kinderspital is a stylish, healing, child-friendly miracle – and it cost less than UK equivalents”.

• Herzog & De Meuron: architecture is not a machine

A conventional dairy farm with dairy cows. Lars Berg / Laif

One of our most read articles this week was on raw milk.

In theory the sale of raw milk is illegal in Switzerland, but it can be sold under certain conditions. About 400 raw milk vending machines operated by farms are scattered across the country.  

In the article we look at the legal situation of raw milk around the world, visit a raw milk vending machine near Bern and learn how a regulatory loophole gives Swiss the freedom to skip pasteurisation.

• Debate: Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?

Quirky Switzerland

Minigolf quickly became a popular sport. Swiss National Museum/ASL

Puttin’ on the Ritz? Who knew that Switzerland played a central role in the creation of minigolf?

Minigolf is not a 20th century invention. In fact, the story of how it evolved to become the pastime we know today is long and involves Geneva landscape gardener Paul Bongni. This article reveals fascinating facts about the history of the sport. Did you know, for example, that Switzerland won three out of four titles at the first World Championships held in Norway in 1991?

Photo of the week

Keystone / Til Buergy

Two women in traditional Tibetan costumes get ready to dance before a screening of the film Wisdom of Happiness at the 20th Zurich Film Festival on Tuesday.

The week ahead

Keystone

Switzerland drew a blank in the Nobel Prizes this week in physiology/medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace – will Swiss economists have better luck on Monday? They’ll be waiting by their phones on Monday morning, hoping to receive a call with a Swedish dialling code awarding them the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred NobelExternal link, to give it its full title.