On threatened the intellectual property authority with a state liability lawsuit in the dispute over the use of the Swiss cross.Image: keystone
A new round of layoffs at the State Secretariat for Migration and On’s pressure on the Swiss authorities: this and more can be found in the Sunday newspapers.
June 7, 2026, 8:48 amJune 7, 2026, 8:48 am
The federal government wants to remove compulsory school sports from the law
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the federal government wants to remove the requirement for three hours of school sports from the law without replacement. The newspaper found this out from an interim report from Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter’s responsible finance department. Although the federal government has sovereignty over physical education, the cantons finance it completely. That’s why they should decide on the number of gymnastics hours in the future, according to the newspaper in the “Unbundling 27” project. If the requirement were to be abolished, some cash-strapped communities would no longer have to build a gymnasium, according to the “SonntagsZeitung”. The Association for Sports and Schools argued that all children should have the same right to exercise. The Federal Office of Sport is also against the abolition, the newspaper wrote, citing well-informed sources.
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SEM cuts 108 positions
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is cutting 108 jobs. More than half of these were temporary positions, as the newspaper wrote. Because the backlog in the asylum system will soon be cleared, these employment contracts will no longer be extended. At the beginning of 2026, the SEM had already cut 83 jobs. According to the newspaper, further positions – including those for permanent employees – will be eliminated at the beginning of 2027. The reason is the austerity package from the National Council and the Council of States. According to the newspaper, those affected will be informed this month. The bottom line is that the SEM will shrink by around 6 percent to 1,280 full-time positions.
Dispute over the cross: On threatened Switzerland with legal action
According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the sporting goods manufacturer On has put a lot of pressure on the authorities to approve the Swiss cross on its products. The company even dictated which officials were allowed to have a say, as the newspaper wrote, citing confidential emails. On threatened the Institute for Intellectual Property (IGE) with a state liability lawsuit if the authority’s actions caused him any damage. Under threat of legal action, On also demanded the removal of a critical interview on the IGE website – with success. The IGE did not want to comment on this “subjective interpretation” of the emails, wrote the “NZZ am Sonntag. The authority justified the exclusion of two officials by saying that they wanted to discuss “the matter and not people.” The interview was deleted “for a constructive climate”. On did not comment on the correspondence with the IGE.
Former Stadler boss under pressure over company takeover
According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the former Stadler boss and current SBB board member Thomas Ahlburg came under pressure because of events surrounding the takeover of a Thurgau mechanical engineering company. The public prosecutor’s office opened three criminal proceedings against those involved, as the newspaper wrote. The presumption of innocence applies in all cases. The company was taken over twice. According to the “NZZ am Sonntag”, criminal proceedings are underway against each of the entrepreneurs involved in the takeovers. One of them is a former business partner of Ahlburg. “I don’t know of any proceedings against those responsible today and have never been personally contacted by the authorities,” he told the newspaper. He “implemented the restart of the company correctly in every respect”. According to the newspaper, the third case concerns the former head of the company. The Thurgau public prosecutor’s office for white-collar criminal cases and organized crime is examining a complaint against Ahlburg.
Crans-Montana: Serious allegations against Moretti accountants
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the lawyer for a victim of the Crans-Montana VS fire disaster has filed a complaint against an accountant for the bar operator. The trustee and his companies are accused of illegal arms trafficking, unauthorized mercenary services in Africa and money laundering. This was also in collaboration with a suspected war criminal, as the newspaper wrote. The victim’s lawyer filed the criminal complaints in Bern, Sitten and Paris. At the center of the allegations is, among other things, a company in Martigny VS. This company is said to have offered military equipment to African security forces, as the newspaper wrote. When asked, the accused trustee denied all allegations. He said that his activities were carried out in a traditional manner.
Jositsch-Aus: SP agrees in 97.6 percent of all questions
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the SP has lost diversity of opinion. In the National Council, 97.6 percent of SP members voted unanimously in the current legislature, as the newspaper wrote based on data from the Smartmonitor platform. This means that the SP parliamentary group agreed on half of the votes and only one person opted out of the remaining votes. The SP therefore outperforms all other parties. In the Council of States, Daniel Jositsch from Zurich stands out from the social democratic collective in this legislature. In every fifth vote he voted against the SP majority. However, in most of the 1,600 votes in which he took part, he had the same opinion.
Swiss companies are investing heavily in the USA
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, Swiss companies invested $27 billion in the USA from January to April. The number comes from an internal email from the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce to its members, as the newspaper wrote. The list of investors reads like a who’s who of the Swiss economy. The sum shows that Switzerland takes its obligations seriously, said the head of the Chamber of Commerce Rahul Sahgal. Swiss companies have pledged investments worth 200 billion to the USA by 2030.
Swiss doctor discovers: Cancer drug has exactly the same effect at extremely low doses
According to a study by a Swiss researcher presented in “SonntagsBlick”, the cancer drug denosumab works just as well at a significantly lower dosage. If the drug is given three times less often, the side effects decrease, but the effect remains the same, the newspaper wrote. Roger von Moos, director of the Tumor and Research Center at the Graubünden Cantonal Hospital, came to this conclusion. He presented his findings at the congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in the USA. Around 5,000 people in Switzerland could benefit from this every year. According to von Moos, there is a savings potential for the local healthcare system of around 15 million francs per year, as the newspaper wrote. For over 10 years, von Moos and his team have supported 1,380 patients in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
Caritas boss resigned due to internal criticism
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the former Caritas director Peter Lack resigned due to growing internal criticism of a headquarters that was too bloated. Since 2021, the number of full-time positions at headquarters has increased from around 337 to 629, as the newspaper wrote. According to the Caritas newspaper, new mandates in the asylum system were the main reason for the increase. Despite officially low administrative costs, the development caused mistrust internally. External consulting mandates and additional specialist positions were also criticized. Lack did not want to comment to “SonntagsBlick”.
Residents of Freiburger Dorf continue to fight against highway noise
Despite failure before the Federal Administrative Court, residents of the A12 in the municipality of Matran FR are continuing their fight against noise pollution from the motorway, according to “Le Matin Dimanche”. They are now changing their strategy, as the newspaper wrote. The main demand from residents living under the A12 viaduct is now a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour. In June 2020, the Federal Roads Office (Astra) presented the project for noise reduction on the A12. A noise barrier is to be built along the municipality of Granges-Paccot FR and a sound-absorbing surface is to be installed on the Matran viaduct. This was not enough for the municipality of Matran and other complainants. The Federal Administrative Court dismissed their complaint in January. According to “Le Matin Dimanche”, a new noise assessment is planned by 2027. (sda/con)