News

Switzerland is chairing the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in 2025. At the meeting of the organisation's Council of Member States, the current chair of International IDEA and Swiss ambassador to Sweden, Adrian Junker, called for focused action to promote democracy worldwide and thus counter the growing pressure on democratic systems. International IDEA was founded in 1995 to bolster democracies around the globe. The council meeting in Stockholm to mark the organisation's 30th anniversary was chaired by Patricia Danzi, director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), who reaffirmed Switzerland's ongoing commitment to promoting the resilience of democratic systems.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face the challenge of protecting their IT systems against cyberattacks. Although awareness of cyber risks has increased, implementing protective measures often proves difficult. To support SMEs in taking their first steps towards cybersecurity, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ITSec4KMU and the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA) recently organised an information event where experts provided SMEs with a simple introduction to this important topic.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti will travel to Norway on 16 and 17 June to strengthen bilateral cooperation on carbon storage. The programme includes signing a bilateral agreement and visiting companies operating in the field of carbon capture and storage.

Romania is one of the EU's largest methane emitters from oil and gas production facilities, but emissions have fallen sharply thanks to targeted information on leaks. An international research team led by Empa has shown that measurements not only reveal actual emissions, but also prompt companies to take action.

Switzerland is taking part in the UN Ocean Conference in Nice from 9 to 13 June 2025. The summit, which was co-organised by France and Costa Rica, aims to advance action and mobilise all stakeholders on the conservation and sustainable use of the world's oceans. The Swiss delegation is being led by Ambassador Alexandra Baumann, head of the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the FDFA, made an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory on 10 and 11 June. The trip is part of Switzerland's commitment to dialogue, respect for international humanitarian law and the search for a lasting peace in the Middle East.

The Swiss Confederation issued two bonds by auction on 11.06.2025: 0%, maturity 24.07.2039 (reopening) and 0.5%, maturity 24.05.2055 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 454.535 million francs.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Swiss Financial Sector Cyber Security Centre (Swiss FS-CSC) are strengthening their partnership to bolster cybersecurity across Switzerland's financial sector. With the cooperation agreement, they are joining forces and implementing targeted measures against growing cyberthreats.

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, will be in the Middle East on 10 and 11 June 2025 for official visits to the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. The trip is part of Switzerland's ongoing efforts to promote dialogue, peace and respect for international humanitarian law in the region.

Switzerland saw a mixed performance across market sector activities in the 1st quarter 2025. While turnover rose by 2.1% compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment in these same sectors fell by 0.1% (total employment +0.6%). These are provisional findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The UN sanctions committee has amended the list of sanctioned individuals, companies and organizations. The SESAM database has been updated accordingly.

In May 2025 the consumer sentiment index stood at –37 points. This is 1.5 points higher than in May 2024. The following sub-indices were higher than in May 2024: past financial situation, financial outlook and moment to make major purchases. The following sub-index is lower than a year ago: economic outlook.