Swiss Review 1/2021

Swiss Review / February 2021 / No.1 23 Cartoonist Felix Schaad on the sharp increase in deaths. First published on 21 November 2020, www.tagesanzeiger.ch they saw as indifference among policymakers and the pub- lic, activists in Berne lit candles outside parliament. By Christmas, the virus had claimed well over 6,000 lives. Warnings from experts The more the situation escalated, the more heated the arguments became. Epidemiologistswere nownot alone in advising the government to do more. Economists also joined in, saying it was a false economy for shops and res- taurants to remain open if customers were falling ill. After backing the Federal Council’s decisions last spring, Swit- ment; uncoordinated federalism; a failure to develop a pre- ventive strategy against the second wave; the opinions of lobbies taking precedence over science; fear of the financial consequences of a lockdown – these were reasons used in Switzerland to explain the debacle. Surprise at the govern- ment’s more relaxed approach to tackling the pandemic was expressed abroad. The World Health Organization slammed the country’s response, while renowned USmag- azine “Foreign Policy” headlined with “Switzerland is choosing austerity over life”. German newsmagazine “Der Spiegel” said Switzerland believed in its own invincibility – an attitude that had historical roots. zerland’s political parties could no longer contain them- selves during parliament’s winter session. The SP and Greens called for stricter measures and a more generous financial package for beleaguered businesses, whereas the FDP and SVP opposed sweeping restrictions – ensuring Swiss ski resorts stayed open, as neighbouring countries were seeking a multilateral agreement to prohibit winter sports. Themedia grewmore critical of the government’s “mid- dle course”. “MinimalismonCovid, and ski resorts to open over Christmas. Has Switzerland lost its moral compass?” asked onlinemagazine “Republik”. Even the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” noted it would be “fatal to wait”. The newspaper generally agreed with Switzerland’s liberal and regionally varied approach to fighting the pandemic. Yet it was a mis- take in hindsight for the government and cantons not to act earlier against the rise in cases, commented the broadsheet. The limits of individual responsibility in a highly con- tagious pandemic; Switzerland’s sluggish systemof govern- Pressure on the Federal Council was growing. In the mid- dle of December, Switzerland’s large hospitals sounded the alarm. The government then stepped in, introducing stricter nationwide rules. It instructed restaurants, sports venues, museums, and leisure facilities to close, and in- creased its compensation fund by 1.5 billion Swiss francs. “The rate of infection has to drop, this is imperative for the entire country,” said the president of the Swiss Confedera- tion, Simonetta Sommaruga. However, themeasures lacked consistency in places and still fell short of those in other European countries. Shops remained open, as did Alpine ski resorts. Meanwhile, theWorld Economic Forum(WEF) announced that its annual gathering of political and busi- ness leaders in Davos would move to Singapore in 2021. Concerns about the spread of the virus in Switzerland had led the WEF to take this decision. Up-to-date information: www.sciencetaskforce.ch