Sport and the strong franc characterise Switzerland's image in 2015

Bern, 08.12.2015 - While foreign media reporting in 2014 was dominated by the initiative against mass immigration and the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship, in 2015 the main focus was on the strong franc and sport. Overall, Switzerland continues to have a good image in other countries and is highly regarded by the general public. Governance and a high quality of life in particular rank among the country's strengths. In the Nation Brands Index (NBI) — an image comparison between 50 countries — Switzerland is once again ranked eighth this year.

A number of Swiss sporting personalities hit the international headlines in 2015, especially the country's tennis stars: Stan Wawrinka, who won the French Open, Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic. Ambassador Nicolas Bideau, head of Presence Switzerland at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), sees this as another sign that the media views Switzerland as an emerging tennis nation after the number of successful appearances recently made by Swiss players in the world of tennis. "As far as Switzerland's image abroad is concerned, for a long time it used to be known above all as a skiing nation and Roger Federer's home country. But with Stan Wawrinka's rise to the top and the successes of the country's female players, Switzerland has become a tennis nation. This has tremendous benefits for Switzerland's image because tennis combines three great qualities: excellence, a fighting spirit, and creativity. And these are values that are a great asset to our country's reputation."

At the end of May 2015, the arrest of seven FIFA functionaries in Zurich and the launch of a criminal investigation into corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids aroused huge media interest. This sparked sustained international media reporting on FIFA, although the spotlight fell on the football association rather than Switzerland itself. The consequences of the FIFA affair for Switzerland's image have therefore been limited and the active role played by the Swiss judicial authorities, as well as the Federal Council's efforts to fight corruption in sport, were even reported on favourably.

The media also focused on Switzerland's appeal and ability to attract investment and skills, with the foreign press often making variously critical comments on the decision of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to lift the minimum exchange rate peg to the euro in January. The media's response was that the strong Swiss franc would reduce the appeal and competitiveness of Switzerland as a business location.

Despite these partially critical reports, Switzerland continues to be held in high regard by the general public abroad. Particular strengths are considered to be the country's governance and high quality of living, which are even more important as large parts of Europe see themselves confronted with economic and political instability. This is also upheld by the NBI, an image comparison of 50 countries and one of the best known image indices in the world. Around 20,500 people in 20 countries are interviewed in the NBI survey. Once again in eighth place, Switzerland is ranked among the top ten nations — ahead of comparable countries such as Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Further information:

Ambassador
Nicolas Bideau
Head of Presence Switzerland
+41 (0)79 667 69 15

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA