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Large number of cases, few restrictions: the Federal Council’s special route is being closely monitored abroad. Pointed comments are included.
Switzerland is a subject abroad: screenshots of the headlines of Foreign Policy, “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, “Welt”, “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and “Financial Times”».
Testing, contact tracing, isolation, quarantine – this is how authorities wanted to contain the second corona wave. But the strategy failed: Until a few days ago, Switzerland had one of the steepest climbs in the world. Now the curve for new infections falls slightly again. But it was “too early to talk about a turnaround,” Stefan Kuster of the Federal Office of Public Health said Tuesday. In an international comparison, the numbers “are still very, very high.”
Overseas, the development in Switzerland is shaking the head, as various media reports show. Here is a selection:
“Switzerland still has the feeling of being a special case.”
What happened to the country that is known for its safety, reliability, and good governance? The renowned American trade magazine wonders Foreign policy – And it comes to the end: Switzerland still has the feeling of being a special case. Wars, great natural disasters, and terrorist attacks were saved, and even the global financial crisis had not really affected people’s pockets. All this led to the idea that the country was immune from the problems of the world.
According to the magazine, this impression was reinforced by the relatively smooth course of the first wave. That is why Switzerland relaxed the measures earlier and more than other countries to reactivate the economy. – that has a weight higher than life to rescue, criticized Foreign policy. However, in the long term, this strategy could prove to be a boomerang. (Epidemiologist Marcel Salathé explains: how could a new escalation be prevented).
“Too fast to return to the spirit of the cantonal league.”
the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” He talks about a “blind flight” in Switzerland. The summer break was not used to greatly expand testing and contact-tracking capabilities, as requested by the scientific working group. Instead, they were “too quick to return to the spirit of the cantonal league” when the federal government gave up sovereignty in the fight against Corona.
According to FAZ, the relaxation measures that the cantons implemented went far beyond what happened in other European countries. The newspaper also describes the current restrictions as “comparatively moderate.” Due to the resilience of the economy, Switzerland, which is used to success and usually to the top of all kinds of world rankings, is now in a very bad position.
“Switzerland is the second Sweden”.
Without confinement, just rules and regulations, the government prescribes little, only admonishes citizens: for them Deutsch Newspaper “World” Does it sound like it’s from Sweden? But he uses it to describe the Swiss “Sonderweg”. The country relies on personal responsibility and does everything possible to ensure that life continues as usual. The Swiss Confederation is doing justice to its reputation as an independent loner. “Switzerland is the second Sweden in crown management”, concludes the newspaper.
“Why does the Federal Council keep holding back?”
In Switzerland there are practically no key figures that are not alarming, says the “Southgerman’s newspaper” firmly. The country is one of the most affected in Europe; however, unlike most neighboring countries, there is no national lockdown. In the newspaper’s view, the fact that the cantons in particular decide on the measures leads to important regional differences between German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland, where they are stricter.
Although the situation has calmed down a bit, according to the “Süddeutsche”, the question remains: “Why does the Federal Council keep holding back with tough measures?” The newspaper cites fear of economic loss as the reason for this. This is always an important argument in economically liberal Switzerland.
“A risky strategy”.
A large part of Europe has imposed a second blockade, only Switzerland resists, criticized the “Financial times”. The British business newspaper describes the latest measures introduced by the Federal Council as “surprisingly soft”. Basically it speaks of a “risky strategy” of the authorities.
Although Switzerland has done relatively well economically, it has done so at the expense of the health system. One problem at the moment is consensus politics between the federal government and the cantons, which is delaying decisions, according to the Financial Times. Furthermore, the general public believes that individual freedoms are an integral part of the Swiss identity. “But not everyone is convinced that personal responsibility is the right way,” writes the newspaper.
