NATO has signed an agreement with Switzerland to open an office in Geneva, reported RTS. The new office will be similar to ones in New York and Vienna and is the fruit of discussions that began in 2022. NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) says it is opening the liaison office to facilitate exchanges with […]
Former Swiss president to head Council of Europe
On 25 June 2024, Alain Berset was elected the new secretary general of the Council of Europe. Six months ago, Berset was a member of Switzerland’s cabinet, known as the Federal Council. in 2023, he was also Switzerland’s president. The Council of Europe is a European organisation focused on upholding human rights, democracy and the […]
Swiss parliament votes against moving closer to NATO
Defence Minister Viola Amherd and Army Chief Thomas Süssli want to bring Switzerland closer to NATO, reported SRF. Historically, Switzerland’s interaction with NATO has been limited to peace support operations. In 1996, it started collaborating on the Peace Partnership, and in 1999 Switzerland joined the Kosovo Force led by NATO. Switzerland currently takes part in […]
Swiss parliament votes to send failed Eritrean refugees to another African nation
For many years, Eritrea has refused to take back citizens failing to qualify as refugees. This week, Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of sending them to another African nation, reported SRF. This week, Petra Gössi (PLR/FDP) put forward a motion that calls on the Federal Council to conclude a transit agreement with a suitable third […]
Switzerland’s low incarceration rate comes with Europe’s second highest prison suicide rate
A study published this week highlights Switzerland’s high prison suicide rate (20.2 per 10,000), which is second only to Latvia’s (21.7 to 10,000) in Europe. The average prison suicide rate across the 45 European countries in the survey was 7.1 per 10,000. The rate across Swiss prisons was 20.2 per 10,000, nearly three times the […]
Swiss government votes against recognising Palestine as a state
Should Switzerland recognise Palestine as a state? Switzerland’s National Council (parliament) discussed the subject on Tuesday and decided against the idea by 131 votes to 61, reported SRF. The motion, which proposed Switzerland recognise Palestine as a state on the condition that Hamas release the hostages kidnapped in October, was put to parliament by National […]
Switzerland set to share flight passenger data with police
This week, the Federal Council passed a plan to parliament to collect and provide passenger data to the police, reported SRF. The proposed law aims to make it easier for the authorities to combat terrorism and serious crime. The law would regulate which passenger data airlines must pass on to the Federal Office of Police […]
Gambian ex-minister given 20 years in prison by Swiss court
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court sentenced a former Gambian interior minister to 20 years in prison for multiple crimes against humanity, reported RTS. The ruling is historic. It is the first time a European court has convicted and sentenced someone for crimes committed against humanity outside Europe. Ousman Sonko came to Switzerland as an […]
FIFA may be preparing to leave Switzerland
This week, FIFA approved changes to its articles that make it easier for the organisation to move its headquarters from Zurich. A former sports minister told RTS that he thinks Swiss criticism of the organisation in recent years is a factor. Until recently, Zurich was specified as the home of FIFA in the organisation’s articles. […]
Sharp rise in racism in Swiss schools
The number of incidents of discrimination reported in Switzerland jumped 24% to 876 cases in 2023, according to a report published by a human rights organisation helping victims of harassment and discrimination. Of the total, roughly half involved expressions of discrimination and the rest discriminatory treatment. The most common place these events occured was at […]
