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.
 
Like a sculpture of a horse surveying Zurich, I’ve cast my eyes over the week’s top news (and a bit of gossip): a political resignation, Swiss-Ukrainian relations, and lower inflation. Also what do you think of the increasing use of English in public transport announcements? It makes one Swiss commentator see red!

The big stories of the week

Keystone / Peter Schneider

The week started with a political surprise that triggered plenty of rumours and speculation.

On Monday Gerhard Pfister (pictured), president of the Centre Party, said he would step down in summer. Is he getting ready to take a shot at a seat in the seven-person government?

“In recent years, we’ve achieved a remarkable transformation of our party, laying the foundations for a strong Centre Party in the Swiss political landscape. Now’s the right time to make way for the new generation,” said Pfister, 62, who took over the leadership of the centre-right Christian Democratic Party in 2016 and guided it through a merger with the Conservative Democratic Party in 2021.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) described PfisterExternal link as the “quick-change artist of Swiss politics”, referring to his apparent shift from a religious conservative to a progressive reformer if it meant electoral success.

The NZZ also started playing government musical chairs, speculatingExternal link that if the Centre Party’s 62-year-old defence minister, Viola Amherd, were to stand down this year – as some think she might – the Radical-Liberal Party’s 63-year-old foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, might jump with her for tactical reasons (if he goes on his own, so the thinking goes, his government seat is at greater risk of being filled by someone from the Centre Party).

The Centre Party – and Pfister himself – are keeping their cards close to their chest, but the Tages-Anzeiger reckoned Pfister would have decent chancesExternal link of getting elected to government. “It’s going to be an exciting year in the Centre Party,” it said.

• Would Gerhard Pfister be a good government minister?External link (Luzerner Zeitung podcast, German)
• What lies ahead: the Swiss political landscape in 2025 (SWI)

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Swiss and Ukrainian presidents start the year on the same page.

Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter stepped into the rotating 12-month Swiss presidency on January 1 and in her New Year’s address (pictured) stressed that “Switzerland is strong and has the capacity to act”. On Tuesday she spoke on the phone to her Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky about a possible meeting.

While no date or location has been confirmed, the meeting might coincide with the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 20-24. However, Zelensky has yet to confirm his attendance. After Zelensky attended the WEF last year, Swiss government websites were hit by a cyberattack, for which Russian-linked hackers claimed responsibility.

After the chat Keller-Sutter reiterated Switzerland’s support in a tweetExternal link, pointing to long-term humanitarian and reconstruction projects and Switzerland’s commitment to contributing to the peace process through diplomatic efforts.

Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Switzerland’s support of Ukraine. “It is important that we continue working together to achieve a just and lasting peace,” he tweetedExternal link.

• ‘Karin Keller-Sutter has spoken to Volodymyr ZelenskyExternal link’ (Le Matin, French)
• What lies ahead: the Swiss political landscape in 2025 (SWI)

“Low price” veg in a Zurich supermarket in October Keystone / Michael Buholzer

Inflation in Switzerland fell slightly in December – and significantly for 2024 as a whole.

Consumer prices fell last year in Switzerland. Higher rents and electricity prices were partially offset by lower prices for gas and prescription drugs.

Last year average annual inflation stood at 1.1%, down from 2.1% in 2023 and 2.8% in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In December, year-on-year inflation was 0.6%. On a month-on-month basis, the consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.1%.

During the last month of 2024, the main contributors to lower inflation were food prices, which fell by 0.9% compared with December 2023. The costs of clothing and footwear (-1.4%), medicines (-2.8%), air travel (-4.6%), diesel (-5.4%) and petrol (-1.3%) also eased the pressure on Swiss consumers’ wallets.

Meanwhile, rents rose by 3.4%, and the costs of foreign holidays (+3.8%) and coffee (+2%) were also higher.

• Inflation reportExternal link (SRF, German)
• What lies ahead for Switzerland: an economic outlook for 2025 (SWI)

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

‘More Swiss Railways announcements in English – no thanks’

A columnist at Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger recently went on an entertaining rant about the increasing use of English on Swiss public transport. I must admit, I think he has a point.

“The announcements have been a nuisance for some time now,” Rico Bandle declared. “If you’re travelling by Intercity to Zurich, all the connecting trains are listed just before you reach the main station, including departure times and track details. It’s interminable babble,” he frothed, noting that passengers have access to all this information via their phones. “When, after several minutes, all the connections have finally been explained, the whole thing starts all over again in English, often delivered in broken speech by a pitiful conductor.”

What really got Bandle’s goat is that announcements in English are now often to be heard across the entire network, not just on tourist-heavy stretches or at the airport – “where it makes complete sense”. English has now also spread to some train platforms and, in Zurich, trams. “For anyone who enjoys listening to a podcast, reading a book or who simply wants to switch off for a while on public transport, the additional announcements mean above all even more noise pollution,” he said.

“As if foreigners couldn’t guess what ‘Nächster Halt: Thun’ means. Instead, ‘Next stop: Thun’ is repeated. If the second announcement were in one of the national languages [German, French, Italian, Romansh], this could at least be explained by national cohesion. And tourists would also enjoy the multilingualism. But no, the aim is to be cosmopolitan and international.”

In Bandle’s view, the additional announcements are not only annoying but also send the wrong signal to expats. In cities with many English-speaking residents, such as Zug, Basel or Zurich, he said many expats think there’s no point in learning the local language. “Why should they? In some neighbourhoods you now hear almost nothing but English, and in some bars and restaurants you’re addressed directly in English.”

He acknowledged that German-speaking Switzerland is undoubtedly tough for newcomers because of the dialect, and he called for a bit of slack to be given, “but it’s wrong to declare English the new national language. Immigrants, especially highly qualified ones, can reasonably be expected to learn the local language – at least to the extent that they can understand train announcements”.

• The Tages-Anzeiger articleExternal link (German, paywall)
• English as a common language in Switzerland: a positive or a problem? (SWI)

Quirky Switzerland

Time is short in Solothurn. @Solothurn Tourismus, Tino Zurbrügg

Certain numbers are inextricably linked with certain cities, becoming almost magical for the locals. Such is the case with the Swiss city of Solothurn and the number 11.

In 1481 Solothurn became the 11th canton to join the Swiss Confederation, and between 1344 and 1532 it was divided into 11 bailiwicks. Even today, the urban landscape is shaped by 11 churches, 11 towers and 11 fountains. Eleven bells hang from the tower of the cathedral, which has 11 altars and pews arranged in rows of 11. And guess how many years it took to build the cathedral!

But why 11? Read all about it in our article, published at 11am on January 11.

Photo of the week

A young whippersnapper takes part in the Priis Chlepfä, a whip-cracking competition held every year on Epiphany, January 6, in the main square of canton Schwyz. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The week ahead

Keystone / Gaetan Bally

On Monday the New Year’s Clauses (pictured) will be out in force in the Appenzell region of northeastern Switzerland, celebrating the New Year (at least according to the Julian calendar).

On Tuesday the World Economic Forum (WEF) will announce the programme of this year’s annual meeting, held in the mountain resort of Davos from January 20-24. We’ll be there.

Also on Tuesday Swiss chocolate giant Lindt & Sprüngli will report its figures for 2024. I’ve certainly done my part to boost sales, but it will be interesting to see how much consumers are prepared to pay for their fix. In March our food and agriculture correspondent noted how Lindt & Sprüngli had increased the price of its products by 10% in 2023 “without a drop in sales volume – yet”.

A few hours later, the Wakker Prize 2025 will be announced. The annual prize is awarded to a municipality or organisation for achievements in urban development and preservation.