President Alain Berset Calls for Courage to Move
Published: Tuesday, Aug 1st 2023, 11:40
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
Back to Live Feed
In his address for National Day, Swiss President Alain Berset called for a Switzerland in motion. He referred to the 175-year-old constitution as a great achievement, noting that in 1848 the Swiss had taken a bold step. He spoke from the Espace Jean Tinguely in Freiburg, with the artist's work "Retable de l’Abondance occidentale et du Mercantilisme totalitaire" in the background. Berset said that Tinguely's work showed the world in perpetual motion, and that it was only through motion that he was able to succeed. He said that Switzerland was in a similar situation, with everyone longing for clear images and wanting to keep the country as they know it. He said that a Switzerland in motion was at the heart of the founding of the federal state, and that the 175-year-old constitution was a great achievement, requiring courage and weighing the chances higher than the risks. He noted that the anniversary of the federal constitution was taking place in a difficult time, with war, climate change and inflation causing fear, but that these could also make the country more creative. He concluded by saying that if the Swiss continued to take bold steps, they would achieve much.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic