The consumer confidence survey conducted for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO shows a further improvement in the consumer climate between January and April 2012. The index, calculated on the basis of a quarterly survey*, reached -8 points in April 2012 (compared with -19 in January 2012). The key factors in this further improvement were optimistic expectations on the part of households regarding overall economic and unemployment developments.

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter will participate at the NATO Summit scheduled to be held on 20 and 21 May 2012 in Chicago. On this occasion, the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) will evoke the common challenges the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its partner states including Switzerland are facing, and the best approaches to coping with them in the years to come.

Today, President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf paid a working visit to the Republic of Cyprus. The main focus was on talks with key Cypriot European policy decision-makers. Cyprus will take over the EU Presidency on 1 July 2012.