Switzerland Today

Hello from Bern,

The election hangover is almost gone but the Swiss media still has plenty to say about the winners and losers. But for those still trying to find Switzerland on a map, Sweden has some tips to help you out.

More on this in today’s briefing.

Vogelwarte / Irmi Zwahlen

In the News: asylum applications and colorful birds on the rise; and forensic experts return from Israel.

• In September, 3,966 asylum applications were submitted in Switzerland, up 32.2% on the previous month. The increase was mainly due to a change in procedure allowing Afghan women to apply for asylum. Many of those who did already live in Switzerland.
• Red crossbills, small colourful birds with a parrot-like appearance, were particularly numerous this year as they passed over the Col de Bretolet in the Swiss Alps. The ringing station there intercepted more than 2,500 of them, a record.
• The five forensic experts sent by Switzerland to Israel have returned. For five days, they supported Israeli authorities in identifying the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7. Tel Aviv had requested Switzerland’s help.
• The Swiss Cancer League submitted a request to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) to change the health law to ensure that women with a proven hereditary predisposition to breast cancer are receive reimbursement for the costs of preventive operations.

© Keystone / Petra Orosz

How a tweet created a messy relationship between Migros in Turkey and its namesake Swiss retailer

It all started a few days ago. The world-renowned Turkish pianist, Fazil Say, reshared a statement on X by Turkish President Erdogan attributing the strike on the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza to Israel. Say, who has been an Erdogan critic, wrote that this was a sensible explanation and called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be brought to justice. He also said that all people must do something to stop this war.

Swiss retailer Migros saw the tweet and decided to disinvite Say to its classical concert series taking place over the next few days in Switzerland, in which the pianist was expected to play with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. A spokesperson for the retailer told Keystone-SDA, Say’s statements weren’t defensible for Migros.

Say regretted Migros’ decision and said his statements were made in the spirit of peace.

But Migros’ decision has reverberated in Turkey, according to the NZZ todayExternal link. The retailer has been present in Turkey since the 1950s, becoming the largest retailer with 3,000 branches. Although the Swiss group hasn’t held shares in the Turkish retailer since 1975, the logo with the orange M is practically identical.

Some people called for a boycott of the Migros Turkey on social media, forcing the retailer to issue its own statement distancing itself from decisions by Migros – the Swiss one.

Ali Lorestani

Sweden and Switzerland are too often confused – at least the tourism organisation Visit Sweden thinks so.

In order to clear things up, Visit Sweden has launched a campaign, in which it points out what belongs to Switzerland and what to Sweden. While Switzerland has mountaintops, we get rooftops. Switzerland has loud noise like yodeling, Sweden has no noise – complete silence – the video goes on to say with an image of someone canoeing in a pristine lake.

The Swedish tourism organisation isn’t wrong. Apparently, 120,000 people every year google the question of whether Sweden and Switzerland are the same. In the US, a study by Visit Sweden found that half of the respondents were not sure if there was a difference. Even a well-traveled President (Joe Biden), mixes them upExternal link every once in a while.

So, how did Switzerland Tourism feel about the whole campaign? It doesn’t comment on campaigns by other tourism organisations but it is happy to see “other humorous tourism advertising,” it told Keystone-SDA. There’s one thing Switzerland Tourism has that Sweden doesn’t: Roger FedererExternal link.