by Pierre Lévy,* Paris
(16 October 2026) Energy prices in Europe are rising rapidly. Alongside the war in Iran and the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, the EU is also contributing to this: its sanctions policy, its support for Kyiv and the rules governing the European electricity market are further exacerbating the strain.
by German Foreign Policy*
(2 October 2026) The US’s ongoing aggression towards Iran and Germany’s continued fuelling of the war in Ukraine threaten to drive tens of millions of people into starvation due to a lack of food supplies.
by Thomas Fazi*
(3 July 2026) (CH-S) Whilst in Switzerland it is ultimately the taxpayer who decides at the ballot box on projects funded by taxpayers’ money by local authorities, cantons and the federal government, developments in the European Union are moving in a different direction. More and more power is being concentrated in the hands of the European Commission. And with the “Multiannual Financial Framework” (MFF), which is currently being negotiated until the end of the year, even more power is set to shift to Brussels.
by Dr Peter F. Mayer*
(5 June 2026) (CH-S) The author describes what Switzerland might face if it were to integrate further with the European Union, using as an example a new two-volume study by the European Union’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union: “Publication of the study on Wealth Taxation, including Net Wealth, Capital and Exit Taxes”.
The EU Commission in Brussels needs more money and is exploring every possible avenue to achieve this. Unlike in Switzerland, citizens in the EU have no say in matters of taxation or fees; the top-down principle applies there.
by Alex Krainer,* Monaco
(29 May 2026) (CH-S) Alex Krainer usually offers astute analyses of current geopolitical developments from various perspectives, or examines local events against the backdrop of global trends. In the following article, he poses the simple question of what economic goals we wish to pursue, given that “economic growth” does not necessarily lead to prosperity.
by Marita Brune-Koch*
(20 March 2026) (January 2026) In the middle of the Moscow winter, a tour group from Switzerland sets off to visit “EkoNiva”, Russia’s largest dairy farm. It is snowing incessantly, and the coach struggles its way through the vast city. Despite the masses of snow, there is no chaos, though progress is very slow. The group is welcomed by Ramon Schenk, one of the farm’s two managers. He greets the visitors in familiar Swiss German: he comes from Herrliberg on Lake Zurich. He has been living and working in Russia for 17 years. Today, he is taking the time to tell his guests about the farm.