Switzerland adopts its first national anti-racism strategy; the expanded EU rail network will bypass Switzerland; and more news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Bern adopts the first national strategy against racism
One in six people in Switzerland reports having experienced racial discrimination in the last five years.
In response to this problem, the Federal Council has adopted the first national strategy against racism and antisemitism, it said on Monday.
The strategy, called the 4×4 model and covering the period from 2026 to 2031, proposes four areas of action.
They consist of improving the recording of incidents of racism and antisemitism, protecting victims, strengthening the prevention of racism at the institutional level, and promoting societal engagement in this area.
The European Union wants to significantly expand its rail network – but without Switzerland
The EU Commission is planning a comprehensive transport package with new high-speed rail lines and the expansion of existing routes.
By 2040, for instance, new lines are expected to be built from Warsaw towards the Baltic states, and from Paris via Madrid to Lisbon.
All of them, however, bypass Switzerland.
Even though Switzerland has spent more than 1 billion francs in the past 30 years on lines and connections to the European high-speed rail network, it has not been included in the EU’s expansion plans, according to the Federal Transport Office.
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#Zexit campaign wants city of Zurich to secede from the canton
A new petition called #Zexit is calling for the city of Zurich to secede from the canton. The reason given is “irreconcilable differences” in cantonal referendums.
The urban initiators of this measure argue that this separation would defuse conflicts between the liberal city and its more conservative rural neighbours.
However, Daniel Kübler, professor at the Institute of Political Science at the University of Zurich, said that separating the city from the rest of the canton “is an absolutely utopian idea” from both the legal and constitutional perspective.
“That energy would be better invested in finding ways to improve the relationship between the city and the canton,” he said.
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MPs allocate over 100,000 million francs for international Geneva
The aid package is planned for the next four years to help UN organisations – which have been severely affected by US budget cuts – to stay afloat.
“It is important to remember that these funds are not intended for abroad or for NGOs operating outside national borders, but are aimed at consolidating Switzerland’s position as a hub for international organisations,” said Geneva deputy Carlo Sommaruga.
So far, almost 3,000 jobs have already been lost in international Geneva:
READ ALSO: How many jobs have been lost in Geneva’s international agencies
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