The French president Emmanuel Macron continues his state visit to Switzerland today.
Yesterday he was warmly welcomed in Bern by the Swiss president Alain Berset. The press pointed out the two men greeted each other on first name terms.
Macron held discussions with the Federal Council, which he described as lively and friendly.
In a speech, the French president referred to the ongoing talks between Switzerland and the EU, expressing hopes there’ll soon be a successful conclusion after 15 years of discussions.
He also pointed out 200,000 French nationals live in Switzerland.
Macron said he respected Swiss neutrality, but he expressed hopes Switzerland will be able to allow the re-export of arms to Ukraine.
He referenced the issue of health workers – many French trained staff are tempted into Switzerland due to the higher salaries – and called on greater cooperation.
Today, Macron is heading for the French speaking region. He’ll be talking to students at the University of Lausanne and then visiting CERN.
Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.
Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.