Needle and thread – the seamstress who crafts Swiss folk dresses by hand How much growth can Switzerland take? Electorate to vote on population cap New church sound – the metal fans recognised as an official congregation APRIL 2026 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad
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Switzerland’s population is growing – quicker than many people would like. Our number increases by one person every six minutes and 54 seconds. It sounds like a fun fact from the Federal Statistical Office, but it also speaks to one of the most contentious issues of our day. Over nine million people now live in Switzerland. It could be over ten million in a few decades’ time. For many, this shows how successful our economy is. For others, it is a cause for concern. The “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative, which will be put to voters on 14 June 2026, advocates setting a population cap and drastically curbing immigration. Without migrant workers, many things that we take for granted would grind to a halt. People from all around the world work in our hospitals, on our building sites, in our restaurants, at our research centres – and elsewhere. They contribute to prosperity and help to mitigate the effects of an ageing population. But growth comes at a price in our towns and cities – where there are housing shortages and packed commuter trains, and where pressure on green spaces and infrastructure is mounting. It can also be crowded in places you least expect. Nearly 100,000 privately owned boats are registered in Switzerland (see page 16). Finding a mooring in Geneva is just as hard as landing an apartment in Zurich. The waiting list for a rare and precious berth is long. I wonder: shall we also cap the number of boats? But the initiative is no laughing matter for the more than 530,000 Swiss who currently live in European countries. Free movement makes it easy to live, work or start a company in the European Union. An end to free movement could have a material impact on the residence status and everyday lives of many Swiss Abroad. Ultimately, capping the country’s population at ten million would lead to this scenario. This is why the 14 June vote is also a test of public sentiment regarding Swiss-EU relations. The associated debate also touches on a lot of what makes Switzerland successful. But Switzerland also has other stories to tell. Like the seamstress who creates made-to-measure Swiss folk dresses (see page 12). Or Metalchurch, Switzerland’s first-ever recognised congregation based on a specific style of music (see page 26). Tradition and innovation in juxtaposition – maybe this is the key to our nation’s success. After all, there are two sides to every story, aren’t there? WALTER SCHMID, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus How much immigration can Switzerland take? 12 Society Seamstress Monika Bögli is helping to preserve an old tradition 15 Switzerland in figures More hens than humans in multinational Switzerland 16 Report Why are boats so popular in Switzerland? News from your region 20 News Switzerland haunted by the Crans-Montana inferno 22 Politics “Vote of confidence” for public broadcaster Will Switzerland tighten access to civilian service? 26 Society Heavy metal in the church aisles 28 Profile Louis Jucker turns worries into music 28 Notes from the Federal Palace The charitable organisations assisting Swiss Abroad 32 SwissCommunity Crowded house? Cover photo: The festive folk dress of Innerrhoden is known for its intricate detail and the exquisite craft that goes into its making. Photo: Silvan Bucher, Agentur syn, Stans “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Photo: Stéphane Herzog Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 3 Editorial Contents
THEODORA PETER AND SUSANNE WENGER Over nine million people now live in Switzerland, three times more than at the beginning of the 20th century. A high birth rate fuelled rapid population growth in the post-war years; high immigration has had the same effect since the turn of the millennium. Since 2002, people from countries in the European Economic Area have been able to take up employment and settle with their families in Switzerland. The principle of free movement of people between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland also allows Swiss to work and settle in the EU. Over 530,000 Swiss Abroad currently live in European countries. Opening up the labour market has led to a significant influx of migrants into Switzerland. Since the start of the 2000s, the Swiss population has grown by two million to its present figure of over nine million. Some 2.4 million people – or around 26 per cent of the total population – now live in Switzerland without a Swiss passport. How much immigration can Switzerland take? Never before have so many people lived in Switzerland. A flourishing economy makes our country a popular destination for immigrants. This brings prosperity, but problems too. Will Switzerland, a small country, soon be too full? Two thirds of this contingent come from European countries, particularly Italy, Germany, Portugal and France. Population of ten million expected by 2040 According to Federal Statistical Office (FSO) forecasts, Switzerland’s resident population is likely to reach ten million by 2040 and 10.5 million by 2055, if immigration continues at current levels. With the number of people retiring set to exceed the number of people entering the workforce in the coming years, fresh labour will be needed to keep the Swiss economy going. Immigration slows demographic ageing, but it cannot stop it completely. The over-65s today account for about 20 per cent of the total population. This proportion will have risen to 25 per cent by 2055. Apart from keeping the economy afloat, migrant workers pay taxes and help to fund the state pension. Yet there is disquiet about the population growing so quickly. Switzerland is overcrowded, say critics. The impact of an expanding population is mainly felt in urban areas, where housing is becoming increasingly scarce (see pages 8 and 9 for more information). Around two thirds of Switzerland’s inhabitants live in the densely populated Central Plateau region between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, where the roads are gridlocked and the trains, buses and trams full to bursting at rush hour. Politicians are aware of this: the Federal Council plans to invest over 40 billion Swiss francs in the transport network by 2045. SVP initiative to limit Swiss population The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) believes that population growth has gone too far, calling it “uncontrolled”. Its “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative, also known as the sustainability initiative, will be put to voters on 14 June. Specifically, the SVP proposes a constitutional amendment to the effect that Switzerland’s permanent resident population may not exceed ten million before 2050, whereby the government would have to take measures to curb migration once the population reached the 9.5-million threshold – a possible scenario even The impact of a growing population is felt mainly in urban areas, with more and more people commuting between work and home. Pictured above: Lucerne railway station Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 4 Focus
within the next five to ten years, based on FSO forecasts. In tabling the initiative, the SVP ultimately wants Switzerland’s agreement with the EU on the free movement of people to be terminated – which is what would happen if the government was unable to “negotiate or invoke any exemption or protection clauses” in the event of the threshold being exceeded. The Swiss electorate rejected a proposal to scrap free movement six years ago, with around 57 per cent voting no to the SVP’s “For moderate immigration” initiative in 2020. Yet the anti-immigration SVP managed to win at the ballot box back in 2014, when a narrow majority of voters – 50.3 per cent – narrowly endorsed the “Against mass immigration” initiative. However, the quotas to which foreign workers would have been subject were not introduced, because the government and parliament did not want to risk a breakdown in relations with the EU. The stated alternative was to In tabling the initiative, the SVP ultimately wants an end to free movement between Switzerland and the EU. The 14 June vote is a pivotal test of public sentiment regarding the Swiss-EU bilateral agreements. do more to exploit the potential of Switzerland’s domestic workforce. Sensitive juncture in Swiss-EU relations The SVP’s latest initiative once again endangers Switzerland’s bilateral agreements with the EU, says the government. Terminating the agreement on free movement would also invalidate the other treaties, while Swiss living in the EU could face negative consequences if their right of residence is tied to free movement. The Federal Council and a majority in parliament as well as industry groups and trade unions reject the “radical” initiative, which, its opponents say, jeopardises jobs and prosperity in Switzerland. The government concedes that immigration and a growing population pose “challenges” for Switzerland – not least on the housing market, which is why additional public money has been earmarked for the construction of affordable homes. The 14 June vote comes at a sensitive juncture in Swiss-EU relations. This March, the Federal Council and the European Commission put pen to paper on a new package of agreements that were agreed by both sides after protracted talks (see “Swiss Review” 2/2025). This package updates and expands the existing bilateral treaties. It also includes a safeguard clause that will allow Switzerland to limit immigration if “serious economic or social problems” arise. Details of when and how this clause would be triggered are still unclear and likely to be up for debate. Parliament still has to ratify the new treaties, after which voters are expected to give their verdict in 2028. Switzerland is currently home to more than nine million people, two thirds of whom live in the densely populated Central Plateau region. Pictured right: View of Zurich from Uetliberg hill. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 5
Migrants play an important role for Swiss employers. Foreign workers build roads and houses, care for patients in hospitals, develop software and create new products. Some 1.9 million people from abroad were working in Switzerland at the end of 2025, accounting for 35 per cent of the country’s total working population – up from 25 per cent 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the domestic workforce is shrinking: baby boomers (the generation born from 1946 to 1964) have retired or are about to retire, and low birth rates mean there is a shortage of young people entering the job market. Eighty per cent of foreign workers come from countries in the European Economic Area. Around a million workers have arrived in Switzerland since the introduction of free movement. The bilateral agreements with the EU, which came into force in 2002, give Swiss companies seamless access to the European single market – and allow them to recruit professionals from EU/EFTA countries with ease. Most More than half of immigrants come to Switzerland for employment. They contribute to economic growth and keep the country’s healthcare services running. According to a Swiss National Bank study, Switzerland faces a shortfall of around 400,000 workers over the next ten years. pects demand for workers to continue rising – not least because there is a shortage of trainees learning skilled trades. Thousands of apprenticeships remain unfilled every year in construction, mechanical engineering and hospitality. Shortfall persists despite training drive There is also continued demand for workers in the growing healthcare sector, where 188,000 new jobs were created between 2010 and 2020, according to a report by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Around a third of these positions were filled by people from EU/EFTA countries. The proportion of foreign personnel is considerably higher in Ticino and the Lake Geneva region, where many healthcare employees commute from Italy and France every day. Over 40 per cent of practising physicians in Switzerland are foreign, of whom half come from Germany. To reduce this level of dependency, the Confederation and cantons have increased the number of places for medical students at Swiss universities in recent years. But this training drive only goes so far in meeting demand, as figures from 2024 show: whereas 1,400 medical graduates reforeign nationals work in labour- intensive economic sectors – like catering or building. In professions such as bricklaying and floor laying, they account for as much as 60 per cent of the workforce. Demand for skilled people is particularly high in the booming construction sector, where companies are operating at full capacity and increasing their income. More homes are being built, and the public sector is investing in new infrastructure. The Swiss Contractors’ Association exMigrants play an important role in the Swiss labour market. Most work in labourintensive areas, e.g. restaurants and hotels (pictured left and middle). Photos: Keystone Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 6
Pictured right: Challenging shifts – the growing healthcare sector also relies on foreign workers. Photos: Keystone Journalist Anne-Careen Stoltze, 48, emigrated to Switzerland from Germany in 2006. She returned to her home country with her family 13 years later. “I moved to Switzerland for love. When I met my future husband in 2004, I was living and working in Bremen as an intern at a newspaper. Matthias, who originally comes from Hamburg, was already working in Berne at the time. Swiss hospitals were actively targeting medical students in Germany for placements and assistantships. After two years of commuting between Berne and Bremen, we made Switzerland our home. While Matthias continued with his training to become a specialist physician, I was able to get into journalism. The media crisis then hit Switzerland, and I lost my job – at the very time I was pregnant. They gave me a payout, but this was the first time I realised how little mothers are protected and how little support parents receive. Balancing work and family is easier said than done in Switzerland. Both our children attended day care, which Views of a migrant who came and then left cost a lot of money. Many mothers – and, increasingly, fathers – reduce their working hours to look after the family. Given the shortage of skilled workers, Switzerland should create parameters to exploit the potential of its female workforce more effectively. I understand why people are debating immigration and overcrowding. I reported a lot about urban development during my time as a local journalist. After leaving journalism, I trained in science communication and worked at the Bern University of Applied Sciences for several years. Switzerland became a second home for our family. Our children, who were born in Berne, see themselves as Swiss. Yet I never felt like I truly belonged. On the one hand, it was because people always regarded me as German due to the language. But I also missed being able to vote and make a difference as a citizen. We were in the process of applying for citizenship when my parents and parents-in-law fell ill in Germany. This shifted our priorities. If we wanted to be closer to our parents, it was clear that we needed to return. I also wanted to be active in politics and civic society back home. In 2019, we moved to my grandparents’ house which we had renovated in Brandenburg. My husband kept his medical practice in Berne, where he now works and lives three days a week. I myself have been working in my local district as an international relations officer since 2025, bringing people together across the German-Polish border.” “Balancing work and family is easier said than done in Switzerland.” Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 7
Pictured left: Demand for skilled people from abroad is particularly high in the booming construction sector. Photo: Keystone Above: This student in Lausanne is making a point to highlight the housing shortage. Photo: Keystone ceived their Swiss diploma, over 3,200 foreign medical degrees were recognised by Swiss employers in the same year. The domestic workforce is nowhere near able to fill all available positions in the nursing sector either. Since Covid, which stretched hospitals and healthcare staff to the limit, the skills shortage has become more acute. From around 11,000 before the pandemic, the number of job vacancies had risen to over 14,000 by the beginning of 2025. Industry associations report that a third of nurses leave the profession feeling demoralised. It is estimated that Switzerland will have about 30,500 fewer nurses than it needs by 2030 – in hospitals, in care homes and in the home care sector. The “Strong healthcare” initiative, approved by voters in 2021, requires greater investment in education and further training as well as higher wages, including better overtime pay for night and weekend shifts. Yet parliament is still working out how this can be put into practice, given the additional costs that it entails. Immigration numbers down HR solutions provider Adecco indicated in its latest Job Index that the skills shortage has been easing since 2024 in other areas of the economy, such as IT, financial services and the commercial sector. This is down to a stalling global economy as well as economic uncertainty, says Adecco. Economic performance also feeds into immigration figures: almost 100,000 more people moved to Switzerland than left in 2023, the year in which net migration reached its peak. Net migration has been falling since then – by 15 per cent to 83,000 in 2024 and by ten per cent to 75,000 in 2025. The labour market continues to attract many new arrivals, but not all of these migrants remain in Switzerland for good. Job cuts, high living costs, no work-life balance, or difficulties integrating are possible reasons why foreign workers return to their home country. Family can also be a factor. This was the case for journalist Anne-Careen Stoltze who arrived in Switzerland from Germany in 2006 and who returned home 13 years later (see page 7). From an economic perspective, Switzerland will still need to attract foreign labour in future. Otherwise, the working-age population will shrink when more people retire than enter the workforce in the coming years. This demographic shortfall is expected to equate to around 400,000 workers over the next ten years, according to a Swiss National Bank study. Businesses want growth Without the migrant workers “that the country so desperately needs”, Switzerland risks losing business to other countries as well as a decline in essential services, write the economiesuisse business federation and the Swiss Employers’ Association in a position paper on the SVP’s “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative, which will be put to voters on 14 June. There are concerns that economic growth, reflected in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), could also slow. Switzerland’s GDP per capita has risen by 23 per cent since 2002 – and this has brought more prosperity. How much immigration has contributed to economic growth cannot be accurately quantified. But there is little dispute that free movement adds value. Yet there is much less agreement on what impact workforce-driven immigration has on the environment and society. How much growth does Switzerland need to maintain living standards? The debate is ongoing. Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 8
Switzerland’s housing crisis is particularly acute in Zurich, the country’s biggest city, where booming demand collides with lack of availability. Whenever an affordable rental apartment comes on the market, hundreds jostle to view it. Pictures of would-be tenants waiting in long queues do the rounds on social media. A disheartening state of affairs. Such scenes have become symptomatic of an increasingly urgent problem in Switzerland. Zurich, home to major job providers in the banking, insurance, tech and service industries, has a record-low vacancy rate, with only one out of every 1,000 apartments available, mostly high-end. The national figure is one out of every 100 apartments – a clear indication of an overheating market. This shortfall not only makes finding a place harder but also pushes prices up. Regional differences, social impact The housing shortage mainly affects cities like Zurich, Geneva and Basel – conveniently located urban centres that are particularly popular among EU migrants. Yet pressure is also felt in smaller cities and in popular resorts in the mountains, according to a government report. In some Alpine regions, locals and non-local workers are now struggling to find housing – partly because of the proliferation of second homes and short-term Airbnb rentals. The cost of renting has been rising for over 20 years. New leases are especially prone to price jumps – of two to six per cent a year since 2022, depending on the region. If you are renting for the first time or moving, you The flip side of growth and immigration is clearly evident on the Swiss housing market, where living space is becoming scarce and rents are going up. There is no consensus on how to solve the problem. can expect to pay significantly more compared to long-term renters who stay put. A country in which nearly 60 per cent of households live in rented accommodation is sensitive to such market forces. This has real-life consequences. A 2025 ETH Zurich study shows that low-income households in the five biggest urban areas are being priced out. But middle-income households are also being hit by housing costs eating up an increasing portion of their monthly budgets. Immigration, regulation, speculation It is no surprise that housing is a matter of heated debate ahead of the vote on the SVP’s “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative. Protagonists put forward different explanations and solutions, depending on their political persuasion. The SVP cites “uncontrolled” immigration. It says that supply still falls short of demand despite more housing being built in the last 25 years, and that Switzerland is also losing its green spaces: “It is not that we are not building enough. The problem is too many immigrants.” Meanwhile, the Liberals (FDP) believe that regulation is acting as a drag. Planning requirements and objections are dePictured right: Cooperative housing project at the Koch site in Zurich – building about 360 affordable apartments for 900 people. The federal government wants to promote non-profit housing developments. Photo: Keystone “It is not that we are not building enough. The problem is too many immigrants.” SVP position Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 9
laying building projects, they lament. The party wants to expedite procedures and relax noise restrictions. Profit-driven speculators have accelerated rental hikes, says the Swiss Social Democratic Party (SP), which is collecting signatures for an initiative to combat extortionate rents as well as calling for more non-profit housing schemes. However, a popular initiative aiming for a fixed proportion of affordable homes failed at the ballot box in 2020. A complex range of factors Studies and market analyses show that immigration exerts pressure on the housing market, but that other factors also need to be considered. According to federal data, immigration was a major driver of household growth between 2014 and 2023, fuelling demand. But average living space per capita also played a role, increasing from 45 to 46.6 square metres in the space of ten years. The introduction of free movement between Switzerland and the EU in 2002 pushed up the price of renting and home ownership until 2016, according to a 2023 study by the University of Fribourg. Its impact waned thereafter, because the market responded and new homes were built – albeit not enough. Experts note that the housing market is a complex system based on supply and demand as well as building law and economic parameters. From 2018, construction activity declined not least as a result of high costs and a shortage of building land. Addressing concerns over residential density Scarce building land is not only down to Switzerland’s topography. It is also enshrined in law. In 2013, voters approved the revised Spatial Planning Act, which limits construction on greenfield sites and encourages inward urban development. It would be possible to create living space for two million people without developing new land, says a 2025 study by the Sotomo research institute. Yet projects to increase residential density often face resistance at local level. People fear being squeezed out of their neighbourhoods, or a decline in their quality of life. Innovative concepts address these concerns, showing how it is possible to build higher and more densely while creating green spaces. One urban planning model is the “ten-minute neighbourhood”, where jobs and everything you need for daily life are in close proximity. Developed by ETH Zurich and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, the idea is designed to help cantons and municipalities implement the Spatial Planning Act. An annual 40,000 to 45,000 new homes have been created in Switzerland in recent years. According to estimates, 30 to 50 per cent more is needed to balance supply and demand. Although the number of building applications has increased slightly of late, the government realises that there is no quick fix. Together with cantons, municipalities and the property and construction sectors, it has drawn up an action plan consisting of 30 measures. These range from more efficient authorisation processes to better use of building land. But they are only recommendations for the time being. More tangible is a proposal that the Federal Council has put to parliament: a fund that issues loans to non-profit housing developers being bolstered to the tune of an extra 150 million francs between 2030 and 2034, in order to facilitate the construction of low-cost homes. The Swiss parliament will vote on the scheme this year. More affordable homes and an action plan to combat the housing crisis – this is how the government hopes to blunt the SVP’s “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative. Will voters be on board? We will find out on 14 June. Building higher and more densely is one way to create living space without developing new land. Modern developments – like this one in Schlieren (canton of Zurich) – prioritise short distances and green spaces. Photo: Keystone 10 Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2
Tourism at a record high Swiss hotels reported a total of 43.9 million overnight stays in 2025, eclipsing the previous record set in 2024. In particular, there was a sharp increase in the number of foreign guests, most of whom came from Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The cantons with the highest number of overnight stays were Zurich, Berne, Grisons and Valais. (WS) Increase in foreign trade Swiss foreign trade grew in 2025 – despite US tariffs. Exports rose by 1.4 per cent to a record 287 billion francs. Imports also increased by 4.5 per cent to 232.7 billion francs, the second-highest figure ever recorded. The main drivers were pharmaceutical and chemical products, which account for over half of all exports. (WS) VAT hike? The Federal Council wants to set up a dedicated fund to help strengthen Swiss security, recognising that the defence ministry needs to bolster air defences and improve counter-drone and other electronic warfare systems. To generate this additional funding, it proposes raising VAT by 0.8 per cent over a period of ten years, starting in 2028. The constitutional amendment needed to effect this increase is due to be put to voters in 2027. (WS) Record-breaking Olympics Switzerland celebrated a historic medal haul at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, its athletes putting in their best-ever performance at a Winter Games with a total of 23 medals: six golds, nine silvers and eight bronzes. The Swiss finished eighth in the medal table, ahead of Austria and just behind Sweden. (WS) Brienz/Brinzauls habitable again Residents of Alpine village Brienz/Brinzauls in the Albula Valley (canton of Grisons) can finally return to their homes after 62 weeks. The evacuation order effectively exiling them from their own village since November 2024 has been lifted. This is after monitoring showed that Brienz/ Brinzauls was no longer in acute danger. “Swiss Review” reported on the village’s plight in edition 5/2023. (WS) Stanislas Wawrinka Tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka announced in December 2025 that this would be his final year on tour. “It’s time to write the final chapter of my career,” the Vaud native said. When he was invited to Melbourne in January at the age of nearly 41, “Stan the Man” showed what he was still made of against world number 9, American Taylor Fritz. The “Stanimal” finally lost — in style — in the third round of his last Australian Open, the same competition where, in 2014, he had first eliminated Novak Djokovic, and then Rafaël Nadal in the final. He has had quite the career since the first time he hit a ball with his elder brother in Saint-Barthélemy (Vaud). Wolfram, their father, ran the farm at a centre for the disabled. Stanislas, who was born in 1985, says that he drew his inner strength from this environment. Four years earlier, about 180 kilometres away, another boy had been born: Roger Federer. “To many people, I’m the Swiss guy who loses,” Wawrinka once told a French newspaper bitterly. Roger has surpassed Stan at home, but the latter is still extremely popular abroad. He is, after all, the man who beat Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He won Roland Garros, playing in some very Swiss red-and-white checkered shorts. “I go swimming in them, I play tennis in them and afterwards I sleep with them on,” he joked. The differences between Wawrinka and Federer have been well documented. The Vaud player frequently earns praise for his approach towards his adversaries. For example, Stan did not celebrate at Roland Garros in 2015 when he beat a Rafaël Nadal in poor form. What will Wawrinka do when he has hung up his racket? Sell shoes? “I still have dreams in this sport,” the Swiss said in his characteristically reserved style. STÉPHANE HERZOG Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 11 Top pick News
DENISE LACHAT Monika Bögli’s skirt flashes bright blue as she opens the door to her workshop in Neuenegg with a flourish. She would never call it a skirt – “gown” is the correct term. A blueand-green striped apron covers it at the front. Bögli has a white blouse under the bodice, with a filigree brooch attached to it in the centre. Around her neck is a black band of exquisitely meshed silk. You would be forgiven for thinking that this dainty woman is dressed for an occasion. Far from it. Bögli is wearing her everyday Bernese folk garments. “This is how women in rural areas used to dress for work,” she grins. Farming families would use wool or linen – home-produced materials robust enough to withstand countless washes. Hand-made with pride Bögli’s attire mainly consists of handwoven half linen and takes many hours to create by hand – 50 to 70 hours, she calculates. The bodice is a particular challenge to make, with its three layers – wadding, lining, fabric – and additional trimming. With the effort that goes into it, not to mention some of the fine, handcrafted materials used (e.g. silk), the finished ensemble does not come cheap: around 2,200 Swiss francs for a brand-new everyday garment and 3,000 francs for a festive dress, with the additional silver jewellery costing at least another 3,500 francs. Put one of these outfits on and you feel like a different person. The lining in the bodice alone changes your whole posture. Bögli is proud and honoured to be wearing hers. “It just fits perfectly. You feel properly dressed.” The invention of a tradition Pride and honour are closely intertwined with the sense of carrying on a tradition dating back to medieval times. People in Switzerland almost stopped wearing traditional dress completely at one stage. Economic growth following the birth of the federal Swiss state in 1848 fuelled the rise of industry, transport, technology and trade, as machines took over work once done by hand. Swiss men and women, particularly in the cities, increasingly looked abroad for fashion trends to follow. Grassroots customs and traditions only regained popularity at the end of the 19th century, with old costumes being acquired, documented and reproduced. Three specific milestones then played a role. The Swiss Heritage Society was founded in 1905 to protect the nation’s cultural heritage, i.e. not only Switzerland’s historic buildings, but also its traditional forms of dress. At around this time, people in various cantons began handcrafting folk garments again based on old designs. In 1926, this movement set up its own Like wearing a piece of Switzerland Armed with needle and thread, Monika Bögli spends many hours at a time preserving a Swiss tradition at her Neuenegg workshop in the canton of Berne: she creates made-to-measure women’s folk garments by hand. representative body in Lucerne called the STV, or Swiss traditional costume association, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The STV wanted to rehabilitate traditional dress as a timeless, simple, unifying element in everyday life. Finally, the 1939 national exhibition in Zurich showcased folk garments from all corners of the country – to project the image of a strong, independent Switzerland in uncertain times and symbolise national belonging, unity and identity. Such clothes are no longer commonly worn, except on special occasions. Folk costume festivals, variety shows, weddings and christenings, says Bögli. And official functions. As guest of honour at the 2010 Swiss National Costume Festival in Schwyz, then Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard wore a traditional dress from her home canton of Aargau. A sense of belonging We again live in uncertain times. After folk costume and traditional dancing and yodelling clubs lost members during Covid, folk costume tailors from various cantons now report revived interest among young people. Former President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard in her traditional Aargau dress at the 2010 Swiss National Costume Festival. Photo: Keystone A pin cushion and patterned fabric in Monika Bögli’s workshop – everything is sewn by hand. The thimble is essential. Photo: Denise Lachat Monika Bögli in her everyday Bernese folk dress. The red and blue aprons on the hanger are made of damask silk – part of a Bernese festive ensemble. Photo: Denise Lachat Some 700 different traditional costumes are worn around Switzerland, varying in colour, tailoring and ornamental detail. In clockwise order: Appenzell Innerhoden, Toggenburg, Uri and St Gallen. Photos: provided/Silvan Bucher Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 12 Society
Traditional garments are now given as confirmation gifts, while hoteliers like to deck their children out in re‑ gional costume. Generally speaking, a lot of the purchases are made by people in rural areas. Monika Bögli also has young female clients, who have often inherited their grandmoth‑ er’s dress and want her to adjust the size for them. Or customers who want to mark a significant birthday with something beautiful. Bögli used to wear traditional dress herself as a little girl. She would go folk dancing and later joined a group of folk costume enthusiasts – like her mother and grandmother be‑ fore her. For her, wearing traditional dress shows that she belongs – to her family and to her region. “These clothes are part of my culture,” she says. “They express regional identity.” Indeed, not only does every Swiss can‑ ton have its own specific traditional costume, there are dozens of local var‑ iations that vary in colour, tailoring and ornamental detail. No fewer than 700 different costumes have been iden‑ tified around Switzerland. An expression of a diverse culture Some dresses are similar, says Sissi Sturzenegger, who chairs the STV’s folk costume committee. But those with a discerning eye recognise the differences. For example, a wheel‑ shaped bonnet called a “Radhaube” is worn in the cantons bordering Lake Constance – but also on the other side of the Swiss border. To mark its own anniversary, the STV wants to showcase the rich diversity of Swiss traditional dress to a wider public – at events like the Schweizer‑ isches Trachtenchorfest (Swiss folk costume choir festival) on 5 and 6 June in Sursee (canton of Lucerne), but also in the form of a lavishly illus‑ trated book showing styles from all the cantons. They say that folk cos‑ tume is a “certificate of origin that you wear over your body”. This also rings true far beyond Switzerland’s borders: during her training, Bögli was involved in making dresses for two Swiss Abroad who live in Canada. Bögli only produces costumes from the Bernese Mittelland, the Em‑ mental Valley and Oberaargau – she would never consider garments from any other regions or cantons. All her fellow tailors follow this same prin‑ ciple. Little room for artistic interpre‑ tation is allowed anyway: every cos‑ tume has its own template detailing the respective cut and accessories. You can only choose the colour and maybe also the patterns yourself, says Bögli, pointing to a whole stack of folders containing patterned fab‑ rics and costume descriptions. “It was a real hotchpotch before the 1930s. Then things improved.” One day a week Bögli trained for three years as a gar‑ ment designer and did a further two years of specialist training. There are still plenty of people who want to fol‑ low this same path, she says, but ap‑ prenticeship opportunities are be‑ coming rare. It is now possible to do modular training in the canton of Berne, with specific courses on mak‑ ing bodices and blouses, for example. “But families are key to passing on the tradition.” For a start, Bögli’s own children enjoy wearing traditional costumes. Her three daughters, aged 26, 28 and 30, were only three years old when they first appeared in folk dress at family celebrations and other important events. And they still wear folk dress on such occa‑ sions to this day. Bögli still has other things to do today – and disappears briefly into an adjacent room to change. She nor‑ mally spends one day a week in her workshop, and the rest of the time taking care of the livestock and the shop at the family farm in Neuenegg. Bögli returns in her decidedly 21st-century jeans and blouse, her Bernese folk dress now safely under wraps until next time. “These clothes are part of my culture. They express regional identity.” Monika Bögli “Das Schweizer Trachtenbuch” contains more pictures like the ones on page 13. It will be published on 15 June 2026 to mark the 100th anniversary of Switzerland’s traditional costume association. Further information about the book: www.trachtenbuch.ch Monika Bögli stitching a threelayered bodice by hand – a job that takes many hours. Photo: Denise Lachat Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 14 Society
More hens than humans in multinational Switzerland 21 Twenty-one per cent of Swiss have at least two nationalities, up from 14 per cent in 2010. In French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino almost twice as many people have more than one nationality than in German-speaking Switzerland. And most dual nationals either hold Italian, French or German citizenship. Such plurality is increasing. Source: Federal Statistical Office, 2024 survey 76 Society may be becoming more polarised, but 76 per cent of Switzerland’s inhabitants believe that direct democracy is our country’s most important unifying factor. Immigrants and expats think that Switzerland is a more united country than the Swiss themselves would have you believe. Source: Sotomo, Barometer: Zusammenhalt in der Schweiz, 2025 98 But remember: taking your shoes off is key to successful integration. In Switzerland, 98 per cent of us do this before we enter our (or anyone else’s) home. Yet half of all households argue every month about keeping the rooms tidy. Source: Sotomo, IKEA Home Life Monitor 2025 1,040,400 Switzerland has 1,040,400 hectares of agricultural land. The many meadows and fields used for farming equate to a quarter of the country’s total area and are the mainstay of domestic food production. No wonder then that with 13.4 million chickens, Switzerland has more hens than humans. Source: Federal Statistical Office, 2025 75,000 Some 83,000 people left Switzerland in 2025, with net immigration to the country standing at 75,000. The number of asylum applications fell to 25,781. This is an area attracting heated debate (see “Focus “on pages 4-10). In a land of multiple nationalities, more than a few hens and considerable codetermination, maybe it is because identity is more than just a number. Source: State Secretariat for Migration, 2025 FIGURES COMPILED BY WALTER SCHMID “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 51st year of publication and is published five times a year, in 13 regional editions, in German, French, English and Spanish. It has a total circulation of 479,000, including 311,000 electronic copies. All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30 / Abroad: CHF 50). ONLINE EDITION www.revue.ch EDITORS Walter Schmid, Editor-in-Chief (WS), Stéphane Herzog (SH), Theodora Peter (TP), Susanne Wenger (SWE), Amandine Madziel, FDFA representative (AM) FDFA OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS The editorial responsibility for the “Notes from the Federal Palace” section is assumed by the Consular Directorate, Innovation and Partnerships, Effingerstrasse 27, 3003 Berne, Switzerland. kdip@eda.admin.ch | www.eda.admin.ch ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Airpage AG, Uster/Zurich furrer@airpage.ch | www.airpage.ch The ordering parties are fully responsible for the content of advertisements and promotional inserts. This content does not necessarily represent the opinion of either the editorial office or the publisher. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nema Bliggenstorfer (NB) TRANSLATION SwissGlobal Language Services AG, Baden LAYOUT Roman Häfliger, Zurich PRINT Vogt-Schild Druck AG, Derendingen PUBLISHER The “Swiss Review” is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. The postal address of the publisher and the editorial office is: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne. revue@swisscommunity.org Phone: +41 31 356 61 10 Bank details: CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 / KBBECH22 COPY DEADLINE FOR THIS EDITION 11 March 2026 CHANGES OF ADDRESS Please advise your local embassy or consulate. The editorial team cannot access your address and administrative data. Thank you. Imprint Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 15 Switzerland in figures
STÉPHANE HERZOG In comparison with other countries, Switzerland has among the highest number of boats per inhabitant. It may not have a sea, but it does have 150 sailable waterways and offers good conditions for taking to them, particularly in a sailing boat. “The mountains create thermals, which are ideal for the sport,” according to Olivier von Arx, president of the Association des propriétaires de bateau [Swiss boatowners’ association] (APB) in Geneva. “The first regattas on Lake Geneva took place in the 19th century, where transport ships competed,” says Bernard Schopfer, himself a sailor and the author of several books, including on the regattas at this world-famous boating spot. The specialist provided media support for Team Alinghi in the run-up to Switzerland’s first victory in the America’s Cup in Auckland in 2003. At that time, several sailors from the New Zealand team, who held the title, had defected to the Swiss team. New Zealand, a seafaring nation, wanted to see Switzerland disqualified from the competition, arguing that the country had no access to the sea and that the Swiss campaign – run by billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli – was driven solely by money. Alinghi’s media team countered. “The rules of the America’s Cup state that you have to have a sea inlet. The Rhine counts,” explains Bernard Schopfer. Alinghi Switzerland had highlighted the considerable number of boats per inhabitant in Switzerland. “We also told the life The nautical life gets Swiss pulses racing Switzerland features dozens of lakes that can be sailed by fans of water sports. It has one sailing boat for every 353 inhabitants, the fifth-largest number in the world. The country also has its nautical heroes. stories of Swiss sailors such as Pierre Fehlmann,” the Geneva native recalls. Fehlmann, who won the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1986, is a leading light in Swiss sailing. “He was the first great Swiss mariner. He made sailing famous and sailors like Dominique Wavre [who has sailed around the world ten times] took up the sport thanks to him,” remarks Daniel Rossier, former commodore of the Cruising Club de Suisse (CCS), which has 6,000 seafaring members. Today, Switzerland has at least another two top-level sailors to its name: Alan Roura, the youngest competitor in the 2017 Vendée Globe, and Justine Mettraux, who finished eighth in the 2025 edition of this solo roundthe-world race in 18-metre IMOCA Higher, farther, faster, more beautiful? In search of somewhat unconventional Swiss records Today: Switzerland has a high concentration of boats. Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 16 Report
yachts. Both are also incidentally from Versoix, a small Geneva town on the banks of Lake Geneva! “The accomplishments of Swiss sailors and Alinghi’s victory in 2003 really inspired people,” says Vaud sailor Mathieu Verrier, who has crossed the Atlantic in a 6.5-metre boat. He designed and built his sailing vessel for the 2009 Mini-Transat, a gateway race to the larger high-sea regattas. Another Swiss was involved: Geneva native Fabrice Germond, who works in the same Lausanne naval office, VMG Yacht Design, that the two founded. Mathieu Verrier sums up the status of sailing in Switzerland: “This country has people with the financial means to buy a boat; there are also plenty of lakes and getting to the water is easy,” he says. Switzerland has 20 lakes on which you can acquire your sailing licence. The champions are the residents of Vaud, who have over 15,000 registered boats. Next come Zurich (with 10,000) and Geneva (with 6,000). Mathieu Verrier owns a small catamaran, which can “The first regattas on Lake Geneva took place in the 19th century, where transport ships competed.” Bernard Schopfer, seafarer and author In 2003, the Swiss Alinghi team made history by beating title-holders New Zealand in the America’s Cup. This was the first time a European team had won the Cup. Photo: Keystone “This country has people with the financial means to buy a boat; there are also plenty of lakes and getting to the water is easy.” Mathieu Verrier, sailor and naval architect be sailed solo. He admits that he plans his life around the weather forecasts, “with a schedule dictated by the wind”. For some Swiss, lakes form the direct horizon. The country can lay claim to two of the largest lakes in western Europe: Lake Geneva and Lake Constance. People who boat on lakes are divided into two main if not opposing groups: those who sail and those with motorboats. The latter are growing in number. “A motorboat is like a car with two moorings; it has a steering wheel and burns fuel,” says Mathieu Verrier. Sailing, whose enthusiasts are gradually dwindling, requires extensive training. It is also time-consuming, admits author Bernard Schopfer, who devoted his Tuesday evenings to regattas on Lake Geneva for 30 years. He remembers returning to Geneva from Lutry on Sunday nights, by motorboat. “With a motorboat, you can head off from Lausanne to go and eat perch in Thonon, in France. With a sailing boat, you never know when you’re going to get there,” explainsVerrier. What about taking to the high seas? “The difference is that lakes have no salt,” jokes the Vaud naval architect, who nonetheless warns that a lake like Lake Geneva can be subject to violent winds. “During the most recent world-record round-theworld yacht race, the strongest winds were encountered in Brittany, towards the end, with speeds reaching 80 km/h, but we’ve had 140 km/h on the lake in the past,” he recalls. Lakes can prove dangerous, as shown by the accident that occurred on Lake Zug in June 2024, where the wreck of a sailing boat was found 80 metres down, with the body of a sailor. The craft had sunk during a regatta. In 2019, strong winds descended on the Bol d’Or, the largest freshwater Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 17
Switzerland has one of the highest concentrations of boats in the world. But getting your own berth is no easy feat. In Geneva alone (image), there is a waiting list of over 1,000 people. Photo: Stéphane Herzog regatta in the world. For an hour, winds of over 100 km/h scattered the fleet, causing 212 of the 465 boats registered to abandon the race, but there were no victims. These conditions are reminiscent of the open sea, and many Swiss people take to the sea for the first time every year, after obtaining their sea licence. Getting a licence involves taking 14 weeks of theory lessons and passing an exam. You then need to actively sail 1,000 nautical miles, the equivalent of 1,850 km at sea, validated by skippers. Every year, around 800 Swiss men and women sit this exam, according to Daniel Rossier, former boss of the CCS. “The Swiss licence is very demanding,” states the 82-year-old sailor, who has travelled across every sea. He says he was always amazed by the number of fellow Swiss he met in ports, particularly in the Caribbean. Another challenge is finding somewhere to moor. You need a berth if your boat has a keel or if it is too large to be easily placed in dry dock in the off-season. But people’s dreams of boat ownership are being stymied by a chronic lack of these berths. In late 2025, Geneva had a waiting list of over 1,000 people, according to the authorities. Paradoxically, only a minority of boats are regularly taken out on the water. The solution would be to share boats, or even remove the ones that are permanently moored, “but we cannot hold people to a timer”, says the head of APB, Olivier von Arx, who claims he never misses an opportunity to go sailing. “I go 300 metres out, I cut the engine and I enjoy the wide-open space and the peace and quiet,” he says. Passing down a berth in the family, on the other hand, is still subject to very strict conditions. This means there is a permanent shortage of mooring berths. “And that’s a good thing,” remarks Bernard Schopfer, pointing out that Swiss lakes have only a finite area. A nation of freshwater sailors According to official data, there were 94,372 private boats registered in Switzerland in 2024, of which 63,446 were motorboats and 23,385 sailing boats. This means that Switzerland had one sailing boat for every 353 inhabitants, more than in France (380) or Italy (394). This score placed Switzerland fifth globally, with Norway (92) and New Zealand (173) arriving in first and second place. (SH) Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 18 Report
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