Black Friday: the Swiss are the biggest spenders – this is what they will spend

blue News and Keystone-ATS give you a first overview of the news, with the latest news unearthed in the press. Without forgetting birthdays and the saying of the day!

Today’s highlights

CLIMATE: The billions managed or loaned in Switzerland must no longer be invested in global warming or the destruction of the environment, estimates an alliance bringing together the WWF and the parties of the Center, the PVL, the PS and the Greens. On Tuesday, she launched a popular initiative for a sustainable Swiss financial center.

AGRICULTURE: The farmers’ organization Uniterre presents its vision of agricultural policy 2030 on Tuesday. It proposes in particular an overhaul of direct payments and the functioning of the dairy market and will make strong proposals, it says, concerning customs protection.

BUDGET: The European Commission publishes on Tuesday its assessment of the budgets of the member states of the European Union (EU). It should provide support to the French government, threatened with censorship, by validating its efforts for austerity. France is among the dunces in the EU, with a clearly slipping public deficit, expected this year at 6.2% of gross domestic product. It displays the worst performance of the Twenty-Seven, with the exception of Romania.

Football: The Young Boys of Bern return to the Football Champions League on Tuesday, three weeks after their last European outing which ended in a fourth defeat in four matches in Gelsenkirchen against Shakhtar Donetsk (2-1). The Bernese, suffering with only one goal scored for 11 conceded, are facing a complicated task: they welcome Atalanta Bergamo to the Wankdorf, which is still undefeated (2 wins, 2 draws) and is aiming for direct qualification for the round of 16 (top 8).

TODAY IS…: Like every November 26, today is World Sustainable Transport Day. Transport is essential for promoting connectivity, trade, economic growth and employment, but it is also a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. All information on the UN website.

Seen in the press

CONSUMPTION: 455 francs is the amount that the Swiss are prepared to spend this year on Black Friday sales, the Basler Zeitung, the Berner Zeitung, the Bund and the Tages-Anzeiger indicated on Tuesday, citing a study by the Boston Consulting Group. This amount represents an increase of almost a third compared to last year.

The study, for which 10,000 people were interviewed in nine countries, shows that the biggest spending consumer during Black Friday is Swiss. Clothing and electronic items are particularly popular. Artificial intelligence advice is increasingly in demand when shopping, the newspaper adds.

ENERGY: The Confederation has decided to freeze the development of floating solar parks for security reasons, reported Tuesday 24 Heures and the Tribune de Genève, repeating information from the day before from the German-speaking newspapers of the Tamedia press group. The Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) cites the absence of legal requirements in terms of security.

These photovoltaic installations on reservoirs are recognized as being a risk, because they must withstand extreme stresses, such as strong winds, floods, earthquakes, landslides or strong tides, explains Marianne Zünd, member of the management of the SFOE. Only one installation of this type is in service in Switzerland, that of the Toules dam, in Bourg-Saint-Pierre (VS). The request for its extension by the energy company Romande Energie will be refused, adds the OFEN.

PATRONAGE: Many cultural and social institutions in Switzerland accept donations from tobacco companies without flinching, revealed Tuesday the Tribune de Genève and 24 Heures, relaying a report from the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking, which drew up the list of beneficiaries. Between 2009 and 2020, Philip Morris International alone paid 11.6 million dollars (10.3 million francs at current prices) to 46 Swiss associations.

For the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking, this generosity is not free: “The analysis of internal documents of the tobacco industry shows that these contributions are in reality public relations tools aimed at building links with civil society, to improve its image and to create a feeling of accountability among these organizations,” writes Hugo Molineaux, author of the report.

Birthdays and jubilees

– 5 years ago (2019): death of Swiss footballer and coach Köbi Kuhn. He notably coached the Swiss national team from 2001 to 2008. He was born in 1943.

– 20 years ago (2004): death of the former radical Aargau federal councilor Hans Schaffner, head of the Federal Department of Public Economy from 1961 to 1969. He participated in the creation of the European Association of Free exchange (EFTA). He is committed to the integration of Switzerland into Europe.

– 50 years ago (1974): Simone Veil gives the speech defending her bill decriminalizing abortion from the podium of the French National Assembly.

– 60 years ago (1964): birth of Glarus skier Vreni Schneider, three-time Olympic champion, three-time overall World Cup winner and three-time world champion.

– 70 years ago (1954): birth of Sri Lankan rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelaam (LTTE). He was killed by the army in 2009.

– 100 years ago (1924): founding of the Mongolian People’s Republic, the second socialist state in the world.

– 100 years ago (1924): birth of American sculptor George Segal, one of the most eminent visual artists of the Pop Art movement. He died in 2000.

Saying of the day

“In Sainte-Delphine, put on your pilgrim coat!”

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