Ignazio Cassis, the president of Switzerland, has thanked Swiss citizens living abroad for “being ambassadors of their native country” during the past year as part of his address on Swiss National Day.

There are around 800.000 Swiss citizens living abroad

The president’s speech, which was made for the 800.000 Swiss citizens who are currently living abroad, expressed gratitude for the Swiss diaspora during these difficult times. “The ability to compromise, the power to innovate and our diversity – these are our strengths. Many of you abroad embody these qualities”, the president stressed. President Cassis went on to thank the Swiss diaspora for building bridges with the international community and discussed the difficulties of the past six months, especially regarding the war in Ukraine and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cassis is also the country’s foreign minister, and went on to speak in this capacity later in the speech, stating that he has plans to improve communication with Swiss citizens who live abroad by launching a new app. The app would keep users up to date with developments in Switzerland and make it more simple to contact Swiss representatives abroad.

Swiss National Day 2022

Swiss National Day 2022 has been a more muted affair than normal, given that many Swiss cantons have banned bonfires and the use of fireworks after dry weather has increased the risk of droughts and forest fires. 

Despite this, many in Switzerland have still been able to celebrate and enjoy the national holiday, with plenty of traditional national day activities. For others, the day has been a well-needed break from work during the Swiss summer - the perfect day for walking in the mountains or visiting some great Swiss lakes with a picnic.