New barometer of concern: Swiss are suppressing all other fears due to Corona



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According to a Credit Suisse survey, the pandemic affects all aspects of life and leads to increased public confidence in politics.

The corona pandemic makes the Swiss think: a man in a protective mask looks out from the gondola in the Vaudois Les Diablerets ski and hiking area,

The corona pandemic makes the Swiss think: a man in a protective mask looks out from the gondola in the Vaudois Les Diablerets ski and hiking area,

Photo: Laurent Gillieron (Keystone)

For 44 years, Credit Suisse has been using a survey of the Swiss population to compile the Barometer of Concerns, and for the first time, Covid-19, an entirely new topic, has clearly topped the rankings. More than half of those surveyed said the corona pandemic is what worries them most today. This shifts the AHV second and leave all other worries behind.

The effects of the pandemic on the mood of the population and all aspects of life are according to the evaluation «powerful». Never before has an issue moved the Swiss as quickly as the coronavirus. For comparison: in 2001, the year of the World Trade Center attacks in New York, only 27 percent named «Terror» as one of the biggest concerns in the country.

But the coronavirus is not just a short-term concern. The population expects drastic consequences, which should still be felt in three years. Four out of five respondents expect unemployment to rise as a result of the pandemic. The issue has gained more importance compared to the previous year and is now the third largest concern at 31 percent.

In general, the fear of an economic crisis is increasing. Many fear the negative effects on Swiss tourism and the national export economy. Although only 19 percent of those surveyed expect their personal financial situation to deteriorate and 11 percent expect a job loss in the coming months, both are record numbers in the history of the worry barometer.

One in two people is also convinced that due to the pandemic, pension provision will suffer in the long run. At 37 percent, it ranks second on the barometer of concern, but due to Corona’s dominant role, it is no longer as worrisome as it has been in recent years.

Protecting the environment remains a top concern, even if it has not been the subject of public attention in recent months. If you ask the Swiss what is the most pressing problem to solve, the most common response after Corona is climate change, even before the AHV.

Two places have each lost, also because the focus is entirely on the pandemic, the issues of foreigners, and health and health insurance. In the case of the latter, the decline is likely to be related to the fact that during a national health crisis, the population’s focus is on expanding supply rather than costs. Additionally, health insurance premiums increased only minimally in the past year and now.

Although the corona pandemic is a real stress test for the Swiss healthcare system, they are People who were surveyed by the gfs.bern research institute on behalf of Credit Suisse, In terms of medical care in the country, they are even confident. Other aspects of the crisis are also positively valued, such as the digitization of the world of work and the trend towards more offices from home. Most also believe that the pandemic will not have consequences or even positive effects on the banking center.

The growing interest of the population in political issues makes people sit up and take notice. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed say they are very or more interested in politics, more than ever. The important role of politics in controlling the pandemic may have fueled interest, according to the report. Other factors could be global issues like the US presidential campaign, climate change, or political movements on the issue of racism and equality.

Voters give Swiss politicians high marks. After a recession last year, confidence in the state administration, parliament and, above all, in the Federal Council, which can be called the winner of the year, increased. 68 percent of those surveyed support the government, only the police enjoy a higher level of trust among the population.

It remains to be seen if these values ​​will remain that high. the poll It took place in July and August 2020, when Switzerland had survived the first wave of the corona pandemic thanks to good crisis management, at least that is how the majority of the population saw it. Seventy percent of those surveyed said even then, before the second wave, that the Federal Council had to exercise its leadership role even better.

The army could not benefit from the special circumstances, despite the largest mobilization since World War II. At 48 percent, the measured confidence value is the lowest since 2012. The survey showed that military security in the traditional sense is comparatively less relevant to the population. Thanks to Corona, security of supply (medicine, food, energy) has the highest priority. This is followed by economic security (preservation of prosperity), new threats (data protection, cybersecurity, pandemic, terror) and the safeguarding of national interests in a global context.

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