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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Freiheitstrychler: Who are Switzerland’s ‘freedom bell ringers’?

For non-German speakers, Freiheitstrychler is a difficult word to pronounce, but this group has become a symbol of how age-old Swiss customs and traditions can lead to political resistance. Here’s what you should know about it.

Published: 19 November 2021 13:33 CET
Updated: 21 November 2021 10:26 CET
Federal Councillor and former President Ueli Maurer
Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer has stirred controversy with his ‘provocative’ attire. Photo Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

If you have been following Swiss news in the past two months, you have likely seen images of the Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer, who heads the Finance Department, wear a white t-shirt decorated with a Swiss flag as well as edelweiss and other Alpine flowers.

While the shirt may look innocuous enough, it is worn by a group of vocal anti-vaxxers, who oppose Switzerland’s policies toward  managing the pandemic.  

Trychler versus Freiheitstrychler

The Trychlern are bells worn by Swiss cows, and the word is also used to describe men who take part in traditional bell-ringing processions in the Alps.

Freiheitstrychler (“freedom bell ringers”) on the other hand, is an offshoot, militant group of the traditional ringers, who have been voicing their disagreement with the government’s anti-Covid measures.

Covid-19 vaccines: Why is Switzerland lagging behind other countries?

Before the health crisis, the trychlers were only known to folklore lovers, mainly in the Swiss-German regions of the country.

But during the pandemic, and after the “freedom” prefix was attached to their name, the offshoot group started to ring their bells during unauthorised anti-Covid protests.

“Founded by a group of committed Swiss people, we put our heart and soul into our constitutional rights”, the group says on its website.

The Maurer controversy

Perhaps the Freiheitstrychlers would be largely unnoticed if a Federal Councillor had not been photographed wearing the group’s t-shirt.

Ueli Maurer, a two-time President of Switzerland who is a member of right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), was photographed at an SVP event in September wearing the Freiheitstrychler shirt.

This was taken by many as a deliberate provocation and a stance against the government’s Covid policies.

Maurer was accused of breaching the Federal Council’s principle of collegiality and consensus: no matter which political parties they represent or what their personal views are, all councillors must uphold and support the common government policies. 

In this particular case, Maurer sent conflicting messages, because while the Federal Council is trying to convince the population of the need for Covid vaccinations, the Freiheitstrychler reject this and other the official measures.

“With this behaviour, Maurer clearly stabbed the Federal Council in the back, said Balthasar Glättli, president of the Green Party.

After the fallout from incident, Maurer denied he wore the shirt as a political statement as he didn’t know what it stood for.

READ MORE: Thousands take part in illegal protest against Covid measures in Switzerland

Tradition versus political activism

Combining political opposition with an ancestral tradition is not to everyone’s taste.

The “freedom” faction is facing criticism from traditional trychlers, who accuse the anti-Covid group of harming the old custom.

“The Freiheitstrychler abuse our customs and damage our image”, according to traditional bell-ringer, Josef Winiger.

Due to the media hype, he said, some of their shows have been cancelled, “as the organisers of these events fear our performance will be politically motivated”.

Traditional trychlers want to distance themselves from the other group, especially as many “are not even real trychlers. They just got some bells somewhere and parade with them ”.

Photo by Wikimedia commons

Ruedi Herger, president of the Trychlerclub Herger of Seelisberg in the canton of Uri, is also fed up.

“We have to separate our bells from politics. If someone wants to go and demonstrate, he can do so, but our custom must not suffer ”.

That’s one message that rings a bell among the traditionalists.

READ MORE: Sluggish Swiss jab rates up despite anti-vaxxer sabotage

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QUALITY OF LIFE

‘Pleasantly constant’: Why Switzerland ranks as the ‘world’s best country’ — again

For the sixth time, Switzerland wins the coveted title of the world’s top country in an international ranking. Why does the nation make it to the no.1 spot —time after time?

Published: 6 September 2023 11:31 CEST
'Pleasantly constant': Why Switzerland ranks as the 'world’s best country' — again

It’s official: Switzerland has been ranked ahead of 87 other countries analysed by the US News & World Report for its 2023 ranking, which was released on Wednesday morning. 

It is the sixth time that Switzerland tops the rankings, which measure a country’s global performance based on 73 categories. They include entrepreneurship; quality of life; adaptability and progress; social purpose; and other attributes listed here. 

What exactly makes Switzerland the best in the world?

The country “snags the top spot for business-friendliness and education, “and ranks in the top 10 for quality of life, social purpose and cultural influence,” according to study authors. “Among attributes, it was considered No.1 for being economically stable, safe and least corrupt.”

“And while people may not see it as the sexiest place, they would like to live there.”

One of Switzerland’s top qualities, the study showed, is ‘consistency.’

Unlike the political and economic volatility of many other countries, “there is something pleasantly constant about Switzerland,” the survey found.

It is true that change of any kind is slow to come here.

Part of the reason for this sluggishness is cultural: the Swiss don’t like spontaneity (unless it’s planned) or doing anything on a whim. 

They believe that rushing things and making hasty decisions will have disastrous results, which is why they prefer to take a cautious — even if painstakingly slow — path.

As a general rule, the Swiss have a penchant not only for planning, but for pre-planning as well. They like to thoroughly examine each aspect of a proposed change and look at it from all possible angles.

Another reason (besides the cultural one mentioned above) contributes to Switzerland’s notorious slowness in decision-making — the country’s political system.

Due to Switzerland’s decentralised form of government, the Federal Council must consult with cantons before a decision can be made at the national level.

That, as you can imagine, could take a while as each of the 26 cantons may drag their individual feet, and there could be no consensus among them.

READ ALSO : Why are things so slow to change in Switzerland? 

While some may see this ‘consistency’ as a negative, the US News & World Report considers it to be a definite plus.

How did Switzerland rank in major categories?

‘Open for business’

In this category, the country is in the first place (100 points out of 100).

Simply, this means  the country  is ‘business friendly’ because the government has created a good environment for businesses to thrive. 

“Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled labour force and one of the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world,” the report relates. 

‘Educated population’

Here, too, Switzerland excels (100 points, first place).

Switzerland not only has an excellent and accessible education system, but according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), well over 80 percent of the country’s population have an upper secondary education or above.

This proportion is higher than the OECD average of 75 percent.

READ ALSO: How can foreigners get into a Swiss university?

‘Quality of life’

Here, Switzerland also got a high score ( 96.7), which places it in the fourth place.

This particular category, which includes essentials such as broad access to food, housing, quality education, healthcare, and employment, also comprises “intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality.”

This is not exactly a surprise, as Switzerland often ranks highly in this category in other international surveys as well. 

In which categories does Switzerland rate poorly?

‘Power’

Switzerland’s score here is 26, which lands it in the 20th place.

But this is actually good news, if you consider criteria for this category:

“The world’s most powerful countries also are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously.”

Needless to say, Switzerland has no interest in wielding global power.

Besides (unintentionally) invading neighbouring Liechtenstein on three occasions, Switzerland is not at all power-hungry.

This is not only because it is neutral, but also because its politics is based on peaceful coexistence.

(The number 1 spot in this category was snagged, not surprisingly, by the United States).

‘Movers’

This too is not a major surprise, since the sub-category here is ‘dynamic’, for which Switzerland was given a low score of 29.1.

The country did a bit better in the ‘distinctive’ and ‘unique’ sub-category, with scores of 43.5 and 42.1, respectively.

Overall, Switzerland is in the 26th place.

You can see details of each category here.

What is the Swiss reaction to the report?

Overwhelmingly positive, of course.

“What people love about us is our reliability and our predictability,” said Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S.

“With us, you know what you get, which is rare nowadays,” Alexandre Edelmann, head of Presence Switzerland, a government agency that promotes the country abroad, pointed out.

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