Federal President calls for unity in times of the pandemic
In his New Year’s address, the new Swiss President Ignazio Cassis underlined the need to remain united while at the same time preserving the diversity of the country.
This content was published on January 1, 2022 – 1:31 PM
Keystone-SDA / Swiss Presidency / SWI swissinfo.ch/ilj
The coronavirus pandemic drove the people in Switzerland apart, said Cassis, “but it has not divided us, we will not be divided”. Although the masks hid a smile, “we can look each other in the eyes and listen to each other”.
Unfortunately, the pandemic with all its challenges was still there, but the President said that the Swiss government (Federal Council) “listens to everyone in the country. It understands your worries and fears. The government always bases its decisions on the overall interests of Switzerland and its people. “
On January 1, 2022, the Foreign Minister took over the rotating Swiss presidency for the first time. Cassis is the first president of Italian-speaking Ticino in this century.
The country is currently experiencing a strong wave of coronavirus infections, with new infections exceeding 19,000 last Thursday. The government has decided not to introduce any new pandemic measures after those of December 17 for the time being.
Diversity
Diversity – in terms of languages, religions, political attitudes – made Switzerland strong, said Cassis in his address on Swiss public television and on-lineexternal link, which was delivered for the first time in four languages.
But diversity was also a constant challenge, because it also required commitment to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, to forego things and to make compromises. That also made Switzerland strong, stressed Cassis.
The President said that in the coming year he would like people to approach each other and respect the opinions of others, “even if we do not share them”.
In this time of increasing polarization, the country can only master the challenges of the coming year if one considers the cohesion of the country and at the same time maintains a passion for diversity.
Hand over
Cassis succeeds Economy Minister Guy Parmelin as President. The handover took place on Friday by phone, it was announced on Twitter.
The 60-year-old Cassis worked as a doctor before starting his political career. In 2017 he was elected to the Swiss government.
Traditionally, the new president has also chosen the Swiss government photo for 2022.