What exactly is Swiss neutrality? This article offers a brief history and summary of the laws, norms and characteristics of Swiss neutrality. How is Swiss neutrality defined? Broadly, it is defined in international laws (part V of The Hague Convention), which Switzerland has ratified, and by Switzerland itself based on its own internal policies. What […]
Russia’s war in Ukraine: lessons from Afghanistan
By Edward Girardet The Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan led to the collapse of the USSR. There are lessons to be learned from the Kremlin’s nearly decade-long failure trying to combat the mujahideen in Afghanistan. Given Russia’s incompetent but brutal war in Ukraine, now being directed primarily at hapless civilians, plus an already collapsing economy […]
Switzerland’s army could be beaten in a few days, says expert
According to a military strategy expert at Zurich University Switzerland’s army is “archaic”, reported 20 Minutes. Speaking to the SonntagsZeitung, Albert Stahel, a professor of military strategy, said that faced with an attack like the one in Ukraine Switzerland would only be able to resist for a few days. The Swiss military would have no […]
Swiss exports reach all-time high
Data published on 17 March 2022 showed a 15.4% jump in Swiss exports in February 2022. The sharp rise in exports when combined with a 2.9% fall in imports led to a monthly trade balance of CHF 5.7 billion. This is the first time in history that Switzerland’s monthly trade balance has exceeded CHF 5 […]
Extreme weather brings worst grape harvest in Switzerland since 1957
A report this week shows how extreme weather led to Switzerland’s worst grape harvest since 1957. Switzerland’s grape harvest last year produced only 61 million litres of wine, 36% below the 10-year average of 95 million litres. In the canton of Valais, Switzerland’s biggest producer, the harvest was half of what it normally is. Some […]
Chart of the week – Swiss wine by canton
Switzerland produces around 90 million litres of wine a year, placing it among the top 25 largest wine makers in the world. Other nations producing similar amounts of wine include Georgia, Ukraine and Japan. Switzerland has a long history of wine making and many of its own grape varieties. Müller-Thurgau, a well-known white wine grape […]
Swiss Covid debts could take 13 years to repay
Responding to the coronavirus is likely to have added between CHF 25 and 30 billion to Swiss federal borrowing, a sum that will only be known when the final calculation is made at the end of 2022. Paying this back is expected to take 11 to 13 years. The federal government said that repaying this […]
Russia’s UN political appointees silent on Ukraine
By William Thatcher Dowell Tatiana Valovaya, a political appointee who heads the United Nations Office in Geneva, represents one of the world’s most important humanitarian, trade and conflict resolution hubs. And yet, while the UN’s specialized agencies from UNHCR to WHO have denounced the carnage in Ukraine, Valovaya is silent. Valovaya’s uncomfortable situation highlights the UN’s […]
Swiss government open to offering free annual train passes to Ukrainian refugees
On Monday, the Federal Council responded favourably to the idea of offering GA travel passes to Ukrainian refugees, reported the newspaper Le Matin. The GA pass is an annual ticket that offers unlimited travel on trains, boats, buses and trams. A second class GA pass normally costs CHF 3,860 for an adult and CHF 1,645 […]
In Switzerland, 400,000 people struggle with everyday mathematics
On 14 March 2022, UNESCO celebrated the International Day of Mathematics, an event started in 2019 to highlight the importance of mathematics in everyday life. The date was chosen because Pi, one of the world’s most widely-known mathematical constants can be rounded to 3.14, which matches the US abbreviation for March 14. Widespread mathematical illiteracy […]
