Switzerland – The Tiny Alpine Nation

The population of Switzerland in 2020 has risen to 8.7 million and is almost comparable to the population of Austria at 9 million. The big difference between these two countries is that Austria is over twice the size in area to Switzerland. Also of course, Austria belongs to the EU and despite all efforts by the EU, Switzerland has resisted joining this questionable club but has been forced to accept EU settlers. In addition to the registered number of residents in Switzerland, there are 320,000 people who cross the border each day to work for a much higher salary than they could earn in their own country. The statistics do not include tens of thousands of asylum seekers, 40’000 of which alone are from Eritrea. In the last 13 years, immigration has brought one million new residents to Switzerland, and despite Covid-19, 60’000 new souls took up residence in the first half of 2020.

According to Switzerland’s democratic tradition of allowing each voter a voice at the polling station, last Sunday we all fulfilled our duty and did just that. Amongst other things, we were asked to vote on an Initiative launched by the Swiss Folk’s Party to limit the number of migrants coming into Switzerland. Unhappily, the initiative was rejected by the majority, for reasons only they can know, leaving us wide open for an unlimited further invasion of potentially 450 million EU-subjects from the 27 member countries.

Switzerland is now at explosion point with towns, cities and public transport grinding to a halt. The increase in traffic on narrow roads that were never designed to accommodate this surge in movement accounts for greatly increased hours of travelling for the longsuffering commuters. Even outside rush hour, the motorways are often at a standstill. Long blocks of unsightly flats are being constructed on once green and pleasant strips of grass. When you deduct the area of land which cannot be built upon – mountains and agricultural land, precious little space remains. One could be forgiven for thinking that the Green Party and other socially oriented parties would wish to improve the life of ordinary folk by preserving nature rather than cementing over the last remnants of fauna – but even birds and butterflies are feeling the pinch.

However, these are the very parties who are anxious to pack as many human beings into small spaces as possible. They are also largely responsible for naturalizing as many foreigners as possible, to enhance the Swiss statistics. As in many other countries, the socialist global society, as preached by schools, universities and media alike is becoming firmly installed in Switzerland, and many people don’t seem to even notice it. Since Brexit became a fact, the intensity applied to Switzerland to become members of the EU club has enjoyed little resistance from our Swiss parliament.

With the weakest government in living memory and increasing pressure from the EU, Switzerland has been manoeuvred into an astoundingly frail position. There is no denying that Switzerland is a high-price island in the centre of the European continent. Therefore, it’s not surprising that EU citizens are streaming into the country, to earn an attractive salary. Large companies in Switzerland greet this trend enthusiastically, since they can sack the Swiss workers and save a lot of money in salaries. Unfortunately, not only do the Swiss workers land up in our social benefit system, but a disproportionate number of migrants too, when they are not up to the job, or not feeling the necessity to work. And that my friends, is a system doomed to fail!  –   I weep for Switzerland.

Photo: Stefan Wälti