Various demonstrations are set to take place in Swiss cities over the weekend, in protest of the actions of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. It comes as support for a boycott of American goods grows in Switzerland, in response to Trump’s aid cuts and tariffs.
US expats organise Tesla protest in Geneva and Lausanne
The action, organised by the expat arm of the American Democratic Party, will take place in front of Tesla dealerships in Geneva and Lausanne from 12pm to 2pm on March 15. The protest itself is the Swiss part of the wider Boycott Tesla movement.
“We need to show the world that Musk's actions are destructive and unacceptable,” Democrats Abroad wrote in a statement. Speaking to The Local, association chairperson Tory Mallet argued that “together, Musk and Donald Trump are committed to destroying the US federal government and US democracy.”
Elon Musk: The controversial heart of the Trump White House
Ever since calling for a “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) in August 2024, and donating 288 million dollars to Trump’s 2024 election campaign, Elon Musk has been at the heart of the US administration. Since being appointed head of DOGE in January, he has imposed staff and funding cuts on a range of government departments, despite not having the congressional authority to do so.
Though the number is disputed, DOGE claims to have saved 115 billion US dollars. One of the largest cuts was the suspension of foreign aid spending. This is expected to have a dramatic impact on Geneva, where 30.000 workers rely on international organisations. Already, reports have suggested that many staff are losing their jobs.
Musk has also come under fire for spreading misinformation via his social media platform X and his full-throated support for far-right organisations in Europe, most notably the AfD. Though there are too many controversial incidents to name, the most visible was during Trump's second inauguration, where Musk appeared to give multiple Nazi salutes. Though he denies they were Nazi salutes, the Associated Press reports that his gestures were warmly received by American neo-Nazi groups.
Support for boycott of US goods grows in Switzerland
These actions, combined with new US tariffs on Europe, Trump’s warming of relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his flip-flop attitude toward Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and his repeated requests to annex Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, have led to a new movement calling for a boycott of American goods and Teslas. In Switzerland, a 20 Minuten survey conducted among its readers found that 41 percent of people want to boycott US goods.
In response to the potential US tariffs, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs told Reuters that they are “continuing to seek talks with the Trump administration…Switzerland values economic freedom, entrepreneurship, appropriate regulation, and market-based economic policy, we remain committed to this." In 2024, 19 percent of Switzerland’s exported goods went to the United States.