It is unclear when Switzerland will one day receive operational Patriots for air defense.Image: keystone
The federal administration wants to reduce its dependence on Microsoft and the Egerkingen Committee is planning a new offensive against mosque projects in Switzerland. This can be found in the Sunday newspapers.
04/19/2026, 07:4704/19/2026, 07:47
US dependency: Federal government examines exchange of Microsoft software
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the federal government is aiming for a gradual move away from Microsoft. “The federal administration is striving to reduce its dependence on Microsoft gradually and in the long term,” a spokesman for the Federal Chancellery confirmed to the newspaper. This comes as a surprise since Microsoft 365 was only recently introduced to around 54,000 workplaces despite concerns about data security. Internally, there had previously been resistance to alternatives, some of which were described as “tinkering”. However, former army chief Thomas Süssli called for alternative solutions to be examined more quickly. A feasibility study now shows that replacement with open source software is possible. The reference is Germany, where work is being done on an independent open source solution in which Switzerland is also interested. The federal state of Schleswig-Holstein has already changed its administration.
Coronavirus: BAG-Lévy defends the destruction of vaccine doses
Anne Lévy, Director of the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), defended the order of 61 million Covid vaccination doses for Switzerland in an interview with “SonntagsBlick”. “There was tough competition for availability at the beginning of the pandemic. It was not clear which company has the best vaccines. “Imagine if we had bet on the wrong one or ordered too little!” Lévy told the newspaper. 17 million of the doses purchased were vaccinated in Switzerland and eight million were donated to other countries. The rest was partly destroyed, partly not used, but paid for. Switzerland has pursued a strategy focused on safety, both in terms of vaccines and quantities. By the beginning of 2026, the federal government had received 408 requests for compensation for vaccine damage. According to Lévy, 300 of these were rejected after an initial review, two were approved and two were rejected, and others are still pending.
Lévy also commented on the Patrick Fischer case. There is more information about it here:
Pedophilia: Defendant continued to have contact with children in the traditional costume club despite the ban
According to “SonntagsBlick”, a 63-year-old defendant continued to have contact with minors despite substitute measures. The man will be in court in Biel BE from Tuesday because he is believed to have repeatedly sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl. Instead of being in custody, he was banned from activities that involved regular contact with minors. However, the newspaper’s research showed that he remained president of a traditional costume club, which also included a children’s and youth dance group. Just a few months ago he was on stage with minors. In addition, the accused already has a relevant criminal record. After an inquiry from the newspaper, the club removed an entry about him from the website. When asked, the man emphasized that he had always adhered to the requirements. The Biel regional court itself criticized in a letter that the replacement measures were formulated too unclearly and could hardly be controlled.
US Patriots: Politicians are critical of the procurement of alternatives
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the Federal Finance Administration has critically assessed the procurement of two air defense systems. “The parallel operation of two different systems with a large range is highly inefficient in this number,” said a statement that was available to the newspaper. The fixed costs for training, logistics, infrastructure and maintenance are incurred separately for each system, which increases the complexity. As a result, the costs are disproportionate and additional staff are tied up. The federal government is currently examining the procurement of an additional defense system because it expects a delay of four to five years in Patriot delivery from the USA. On the bourgeois side, the approach is supported, while the left is more skeptical. “It seems to me more than questionable whether our militia army is capable of operating two systems at the same time,” said SP National Councilor Fabian Molina to “NZZ am Sonntag”.
Mosques: Egerkingen Committee called for new measures
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the Egerkinger Committee is planning a new political offensive in connection with mosque projects in Switzerland. Corresponding initiatives call for, among other things, a stronger say for the communities and even a kind of veto right for local councils or local parliaments. It would also be conceivable to have reporting obligations in the form of a form to be enclosed with building applications, on which the financing must be disclosed, for example. The committee also wants to revive an earlier demand that mosques and imams should be banned from accepting money from abroad. The National Council had already approved such a request in 2017, but the Council of States stopped it. The background to the current debate is, among other things, a planned mosque project by the Muslim community El-Hidaje in St. Gallen, which, according to the community, will be financed primarily through local donations.
WEF: Former boss Schwab sharply criticizes new leadership
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, Klaus Schwab sharply criticized the leadership and governance of the World Economic Forum. In a letter to the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA), which the newspaper has received, he particularly criticized possible conflicts of interest in the current leadership. Specifically, it is about dual roles such as those of co-presidents André Hoffmann, who is a major shareholder and vice president of the pharmaceutical company Roche, and Larry Fink, who is the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of the asset manager Blackrock. However, Schwab did not mention them by name. However, the ESA does not see external mandates as a fundamental problem and emphasizes that acting in the interests of the foundation is crucial. Schwab also suspects that allegations against him also served to prevent his favored successor, Christine Lagarde. Schwab is also calling for the WEF property in Cologny to be transferred to the federal government in order to secure its anchoring in Switzerland, but this is met with skepticism.
Insults: Lesbian EVP member changes party
According to “SonntagsBlick”, Lea Blattner has decided to leave the EPP after threats and is likely to switch to the SP or the Greens. The politician from Basel is drawing a line in the sand after she was threatened with anti-queer threats and, in her opinion, the party did too little about it. Blattner herself could not be reached for comment, but a reliable source confirmed her departure, which will be officially announced on Monday. Blattner came out as a lesbian a year ago and then received insults and death threats. She explained on Instagram that she had experienced both support and rejection and hatred from “close to the party” within the EPP. At the beginning of the year she had already resigned as co-president. The EPP recently announced that it would take homophobia more seriously and set up an independent reporting center.
Asylum seekers: SEM extends analysis of cell phone data
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the State Secretariat for Migration has extended the evaluation of mobile phone data from asylum seekers. The measure has been used for a year in the federal asylum centers in Basel and Chiasso to verify information on identity, origin and travel route. The experiment was originally scheduled to last three months, but the database was not sufficient. The trial will be extended until forensic software is introduced, said SEM spokeswoman Magdalena Rast. This step should take place “this year”. The project is based on a parliamentary initiative by SVP National Councilor Gregor Rutz. The software should make the evaluation more efficient. The SEM emphasizes that the analysis of cell phone data only takes place if information cannot be verified in any other way. The Swiss Refugee Aid warned in “SonntagsBlick” about violations of the data protection law.
Flood of packages: China is not to blame, but Switzerland
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the flood of parcels in Switzerland can largely be attributed to domestic online retailers. Internal Swiss Post data available to the newspaper showed that the 20 largest national providers in particular would drive growth in the parcel market. Companies like Digitec, Galaxus, Brack and Zalando together have a share of 37 percent. The proportion of Asian shipments, on the other hand, has stagnated at around 11 to 12 percent since 2024. Since 2016, only around 20 percent of the growth can be attributed to deliveries from Asia. Nevertheless, Swiss retailers continued to criticize unequal competitive conditions, for example in terms of product liability or recycling fees. Patrick Erny, director of the Swiss Retail Federation, warned against “comparing apples with pears” because many Asian shipments arrive by letter post. The volume of such small goods shipments from Asia increased by 126 percent between 2022 and 2024.
Nicotine addiction: Substitute products are much more expensive in Switzerland
According to “Le Matin Dimanche”, nicotine replacement products are significantly more expensive in Switzerland than abroad. Prevention circles criticized the higher prices, which could affect the chances of success in quitting smoking. Many smokers in border regions know that corresponding products are cheaper in France. A comparison by the newspaper shows that a pack of 210 pieces of Nicorette chewing gum costs 23.44 euros (around 21.80 francs) in Annemasse, France, while it cost 109 francs in Geneva. This price difference would be considered problematic by experts. Luc Lebon, head of tobacco prevention at Unisanté, told the newspaper that this was all the more serious because cigarettes were cheaper in Switzerland. Since financial incentives have been proven to be effective in getting people to give up smoking, he comes to the conclusion that Switzerland “loses twice.” (sda/con)