Sunday, November 10, 2024
Published: Sunday, Nov 10th 2024, 07:20
Updated At: Monday, Nov 11th 2024, 00:59
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New conflict between Bern and Brussels, Jans reaffirms the safeguard clause and a US class action lawsuit against Lindt & Sprüngli: this and more can be found in the Sunday papers. The headlines in unverified reports:
"NZZ am Sonntag":
SWITZERLAND- EU: Parallel to the negotiations on a new EU agreement, a new dispute has flared up between Switzerland and the EU over tax issues. According to research by "NZZ am Sonntag", Brussels is demanding a revision of the automatic exchange of information (AEOI). In concrete terms, this would mean that Swiss authorities would have to collect tax claims from EU citizens in their home country. An idea that is unimaginable, especially for the middle classes, as reported by the "NZZ am Sonntag". "We would have to implement foreign law. That is completely unacceptable to me," said SVP National Councillor Franz Grüter, for example. The GLP, on the other hand, saw this as a legitimate concern from which Switzerland could also benefit. According to the newspaper, the Federal Council is prepared to negotiate the sensitive issue. However, the application of such a regulation should be severely restricted. The Economic Committee of the Council of States will discuss the request on Monday, it added.
"SonntagsBlick":
SWITZERLAND-EU: Justice Minister Beat Jans has reiterated the Swiss demand for a safeguard clause in the free movement of persons with the EU. Otherwise it would be difficult in terms of domestic policy, as the EU also knows, Jans told "Sonntagsblick". A safeguard clause would therefore also be in their interest. After all, it is also important for Brussels that the proposal can stand up to the Swiss people. At the same time, it would be detrimental to the EU if too many skilled workers migrated to Switzerland. When asked whether there would be no deal with Brussels without a safeguard clause, Jans said that the overall package would be decisive in the end. The Federal Council also announced that it had commissioned a national strategy against organized crime. "It is important that Switzerland takes action here before we have similar problems to other countries in Europe," said Jans. There are criminal groups from Italy, Albania and other countries. Greater attention must be paid at Fedpol to putting a stop to them.
"SonntagsZeitung" / "Le Matin Dimanche":
FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: Following the election of Donald Trump, SVP National Councillor Magdalena Martullo-Blocher has called for the resumption of free trade talks with the USA. In an interview with the "SonntagsZeitung" newspaper, she emphasized that such an agreement would be of great importance for Switzerland and that she would be personally committed to it. The head of Ems-Chemie had already campaigned for an agreement with the USA in 2018. Such an agreement was discussed during Trump's first presidency, but the exploratory talks ended in 2021 under Joe Biden. With Trump's election, however, there was now a threat of US import tariffs, which is why Swiss business representatives campaigned for a free trade agreement. Agriculture remains a challenge. In an interview with "Le Matin Dimanche", Economics Minister Guy Parmelin emphasized that farmers should not come under even greater pressure as a result of an agreement with the USA.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
SWITZERLAND - NATO: Center Party leader Gerhard Pfister has called for closer ties with the defense alliance following the US election. Some of Trump's announcements could also have a negative impact on Switzerland's security, said Pfister in an interview with the "NZZ am Sonntag". He was convinced that cooperation with NATO was the right way forward in this situation. In future, Swiss F-35 fighter jets could help to monitor European airspace in the event of war. Because if Trump keeps his word, it will be dangerous in Europe. "If he wants to create a quick peace in Ukraine, as he has announced, it will be a peace in Russia's interest," said Pfister. On the question of whether Switzerland would be better off staying out of it, he said: "Then you have to make it clear to NATO that we want to and can defend ourselves completely if the worst comes to the worst. There are a few big question marks for me about the army's current defense capability."
"SonntagsZeitung" / "Le Matin Dimanche"
TECHNOLOGY: Many office workers in Switzerland feel insufficiently supported by their employer when it comes to handling artificial intelligence (AI). This was reported in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, citing a survey conducted by the "Die Plattform" alliance. According to the survey, 80 percent of respondents would need more specialist knowledge for the use of AI tools such as Chat-GPT or Deepl. Only a quarter of respondents said that their employer had a clear strategy regarding artificial intelligence. The lack of guidelines also leads to uncertainty, the report continued. The opportunities of AI are assessed differently depending on the level of education and management level in the companies. Less qualified people would be more skeptical about the technologies. Ursula Häfliger from "Die Plattform" emphasized in the "SonntagsZeitung" that companies should involve their employees in the AI process. Central National Councillor Dominik Blunschy suggested that AI skills should already be taught at elementary school.
"NZZ am Sonntag":
FOOD: Swiss chocolate giant Lindt & Sprüngli is facing a class action lawsuit in the USA. As reported by the "NZZ am Sonntag", Californian consumer advocates have measured high levels of two toxic heavy metals in a chocolate bar: Cadmium and lead. According to the report, the limit values were clearly exceeded. The plaintiffs accused Lindt of having been deceived with misleading quality promises. In the company's defense, Lindt's lawyers said that emphasizing quality was a transparent marketing strategy. A statement that blew up in the chocolate manufacturer's own face on social networks. Consumers felt they had been ripped off by Lindt when it came to prices. According to the NZZ am Sonntag, Lindt denied all accusations. Internal procedures ensure that all products are labeled safely and correctly. ("NZZ am Sonntag")
"SonntagsZeitung":
RECYCLING: The Swiss textile industry wants to take recycling into its own hands and is planning an early recycling contribution. Seven companies, including Calida, Mammut and PKZ, are founding the Swiss Fabric Loop association with the Swiss Textiles Association, as reported by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. The collection of used clothing in Switzerland is in crisis due to the large quantities and financially hardly worthwhile recycling. According to the newspaper, the association is therefore planning a levy similar to the one currently included in the purchase price of electrical appliances and PET bottles: consumers pay a contribution at the checkout for subsequent disposal. The amount of the recycling fee should be based on models such as the Netherlands or France. There it amounts to between 30 and 70 centimes per kilogram. The legal basis and the distribution of costs are to be worked out in the coming weeks, it was added. The first voluntary contributions are planned in two years' time.
"SonntagsBlick":
SUSTAINABILITY: A report by Public Eye criticizes Switzerland's sustainability reports for being more environmentally friendly than they actually are. The previously unpublished report, which was made available to "Sonntagsblick", showed that the companies Vitol, Trafigura, Glencore, Mercuria and Gunvor caused indirect CO2 emissions of 4043 million tons of CO2 equivalents in 2022. This is almost four times more than officially stated and 100 times as much as Switzerland's total emissions. Commodity companies usually only take into account emissions from their plants and ships. Public Eye, on the other hand, included emissions from the combustion of traded raw materials, which is crucial. Mercuria, Vitol, Trafigura and Glencore in particular neglected this; only Gunvor provided more complete figures. Suissenégoce, the Swiss commodities trading association, rejected the criticism and called the calculations "deliberately misleading". The report places one-sided responsibility on the traders.
"SonntagsZeitung" / "Le Matin Dimanche"
TECHNOLOGY: Many office workers in Switzerland feel insufficiently supported by their employer when it comes to handling artificial intelligence (AI). This was reported in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, citing a survey conducted by the "Die Plattform" alliance. According to the survey, 80 percent of respondents would need more specialist knowledge for the use of AI tools such as Chat-GPT or Deepl. Only a quarter of respondents said that their employer had a clear strategy regarding artificial intelligence. The lack of guidelines also leads to uncertainty, the report continued. The opportunities of AI are assessed differently depending on the level of education and management level in the companies. Less qualified people would be more skeptical about the technologies. Ursula Häfliger from "Die Plattform" emphasized in the "SonntagsZeitung" that companies should involve their employees in the AI process. Central National Councillor Dominik Blunschy suggested that AI skills should already be taught at elementary school.
"SonntagsZeitung":
DYING WELFARE: According to the federal government, there are 156,000 people with dementia in Switzerland. There are 33,800 new cases every year. This was reported in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, describing a key problem: people with advanced dementia are no longer capable of judgment and are therefore not allowed to choose an assisted suicide. Not even if they had previously expressed this wish. Experts emphasized that in the early stages, when the person still has capacity, it remains unclear whether the disease will progress to the extent expected. The problem is that there is a great deal of uncertainty among doctors, with many shying away from legal problems if they were to assist their patients in committing suicide, Basel doctor and euthanasia specialist Erika Preisig told the newspaper: "If the FMH were to recognize assisted suicide as a medical activity, it would give doctors a certain degree of security."
"SonntagsZeitung":
The Managing Director of Aldi Suisse, Jérôme Meyer, was relaxed about Migros' new low-price strategy. In an interview with the "SonntagsZeitung" newspaper, he emphasized that Aldi's prices are still clearly below those of the supermarkets and that the gap of around 30 percent remains. For him, Migros' price offensive is a confirmation of the Aldi model, which has been successful for 20 years with low prices and a limited product range. This strategy enables Aldi to remain competitive and efficient. Meyer emphasized that the increased price focus would strengthen discounters in the long term. He emphasized the importance of Swiss products, particularly in the fresh meat sector, in order to curb shopping tourism. Sustainability is also key: "I am convinced that if people can afford sustainable meat, they will not necessarily consume more meat, but more consciously," said the Aldi boss.
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