“Ha ha, but you have no sea in Switzerland !”
I have heard this joke too many times to find it amusing. Still, fair question – why on Earth is Switzerland the place to be for LNG ?
I tend to reply that it is simply because traders find it easier to buy their watches, and chocolate melts too fast in Singapore.
Still, people insist. Maybe it is the money. Laundering ? Bank secrecy ?
In April 2021, the Swiss government wrote to the Biden administration in response to the president’s remarks which compared Switzerland to Bermuda or Cayman islands. The parallel is a bit of a long shot indeed. Let’s drop the clichés. Switzerland is not a fiscal paradise : it is paradise.
A country where everything works, where trains make amends about 2-minute delays, where you can order a 1k CHF camera for home delivery and pay it later by bringing the paper slip to the post office.
A country whose citizens strike the right balance between duties and rights. The Swiss response to the Covid-19 crisis showed it all : fair guidelines given and respected – and as a result, individual freedoms safeguarded.
A country acting “as fast as possible, and as slow as necessary” – in the words of Swiss health minister.
A country well taken care of by all generations, be it meadows, mountain huts or public bathrooms (and the mere fact that there are still loads of them).
A country where with 30 minutes of your free time, you can have the experience of a lifetime. Skiing before work, biking and paddling after market close : you name it.
Of course no place is perfect : the Swiss mentality can be a longer learning curve than it seems, especially for a French- or Italian- speaking “nexpat” (my word for near expat). Healthcare is excellent but comes at a cost. And yeah, there is no sea. But looking at the majestic Lake Léman from the heights of Montreux, I feel like there is.
Photo © Jean-Christian Heintz
Wideangle LNG 