Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,
 
Although the community of Swiss citizens abroad consists of over 800,000 people, it has lost political power in the first year since the parliamentary elections in Switzerland. This is the sobering conclusion of experts who took part in our recent debate programme "Let's Talk".
 
In today's briefing, I also report on the rise in telephone scams. Criminals can now cherry-pick victims with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to filter out and target those people who fall more easily for fake calls.
 
We also look at investing in residential property, which has become worthwhile again. And in the Alpstein mountain region near the famous Äscher-Wildkirchli inn, a warning sign has sparked controversy.
 
Best wishes from Bern

Keystone / Anthony Anex

The voice of the Swiss Abroad is hardly heard in parliament any more. That is the conclusion of our “Let’s Talk” debate programme.

It’s been a year since the Swiss elected a new parliament. What has changed in Swiss politics for the Swiss Abroad? In our debate programme “Let’s Talk”, my colleague Balz Rigendinger spoke to Priscilla Imboden, federal parliament correspondent for the online magazine Republik and Lukas Golder, co-director of the gfs.bern research institute.

Imboden comments on the make-up of the new parliament this year: more to the right and much less green, and also more inward-looking, she says. The voice of the Swiss Abroad is being lost, she adds.

Golder, for his part, believes that the marginalisation of the Swiss Abroad after the elections is systematic. He also blames the media, which are “barely capable” of widening their perspectives and looking beyond the Swiss horizon. Voting campaigns are often “characterised by purely domestic mechanisms”, he adds.

• Watch the “Let’s Talk” programme here (in German).

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Beware of fraud: the National Cyber Security Centre has received an average of one report every eight and a half minutes. It has noted a sharp increase in attempted scams.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Not all cases of attempted fraud via electronic devices are reported. Criminals are still most likely to try their luck over the phone. This is shown by figures from the National Cyber Security Centre for the first half of 2024.

According to the figures, fraud attempts have increased compared to the previous year. Most fake calls pretend to come from authorities. The criminals rely on a robot that calls various numbers. The Tages-Anzeiger reports that AI tricks the callers into believing that they are involved in criminal proceedings. Only when those affected press the #1 button on their phone are they connected to a real person who then tries to rip them off.

Phishing mails have also increased. You have probably already received messages about parcel deliveries that have made you suspicious. This is how criminals try to obtain your personal data. The sender is often a well-known company. And the language used in attempted scams is also getting better.

• Read more about online fraud in Switzerland in External linkTages-AnzeigerExternal link.

Keystone / Steffen Schmidt

A study shows that building a house in Switzerland is worthwhile again.

The wind has changed in the property market: after three cuts in the key interest rate by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) this year, it is once again worth investing in residential property. It is currently possible to realise a similar return as investing in shares on the stock market. This is shown in a study by Raiffeisen Bank Switzerland.

“In contrast to a rented flat, a home is not only a consumer good for its occupants, but also – whether consciously or unconsciously – an investment good,” Finanz und Wirtschaft wrote today, citing the study.

The Raiffeisen analysis shows that home ownership has resulted in an average annual return on equity of 7.2% since 1988. This is just slightly lower than the return on a Swiss equity portfolio over the same time period.

• Article in External linkFinanz und WirtschaftExternal link.

Keystone-SDA

Children on leads! A sign in the Appenzell Alpstein region sparks controversy.

Are you familiar with the story of the Äscher-Wildkirchli inn? In 2015 an article in the National Geographic magazine featured the mountain restaurant, which is perched under a cliff at 1,450 metres above sea level in eastern Switzerland. Subsequently, the number of visitors shot up.

But access to the restaurant in the Alpstein is not easy. You need to be careful where you put your feet and have a head for heights. There are fatal accidents in the Alpstein every year.

Now the owner of the Aescher has put up a warning sign on the descent to Seealpsee saying “Secure children with a lead”. And also that she would lend out leads. The offer is very popular, she tells the 20 Minuten tabloid. But the wording has been criticised by some people, especially on the online discussion site Reddit. Many say the term “lead” is inappropriate.

• Read the article in 20 MinutenExternal link.

Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Picture of the day

A Sotheby’s employee shows an impressive very light pink diamond pendant weighing 16.73 carats during a preview at Sotheby’s in Geneva. The sale price is estimated at between CHF1.1 and 1.8 million. The auction will take place on November 13 in Geneva.