Last but not least: Switzerland is once again the topic
Managing a country's image is probably about as easy as teaching a goldfish to read. Since Switzerland is once again the subject of discussion abroad these days—specifically regarding its image—it's best to stay calm. Plus, good entertainment is guaranteed.
With regard to Switzerland's conspicuousness on the international stage, there is the well-known joke that a Brussels diplomat was once asked how Switzerland was perceived abroad. "Not at all," was the diplomat's short and, to put it mildly, devastating answer. Of course, we know that it's not quite like that, for example from Hollywood films, where Switzerland makes brief appearances from time to time thanks to its pocket knives and financial houses, albeit contradictory ones; MacGyver on the one hand, Nazi gold on the other. The latest case in which Switzerland has once again become a topic of discussion is similar to Nazi gold; Switzerland has once again come under fire from the British press for the SVP's sheep posters, this time from the Independent, which wondered whether the country was on the verge of drifting into a 4th Reich. At the same time, however, it was reported over the weekend from across the Atlantic that the US TV show "Travel Cafe" had won the most prestigious television award in the USA, the Emmy, with a program about Switzerland. "Skiing in Switzerland is more than just skiing. It's a lifestyle" was the motto of the show, which showed the presenter making a devout pilgrimage to important Swiss winter sports resorts. Whichever way you look at it, the contradictory signals from the Anglo-Saxon world about Switzerland's image continue to puzzle us. But entertainment is guaranteed, and we can eagerly await the next act.
