The writer of this article - "Today, however, Switzerland's cities are grubby..." what! The guy needs to walk the streets of Zurich, get on a flight from Zurich to any London airport, and walk the streets of London. It always strikes me how worn-out and dirty the streets of London look in comparison.

"More and more, Switzerland seems like just another small, struggling European nation." - eh? In his dreams. I am so tired of the constant superior attitude of European Unionists. The biggest threat to Switzerland would be to be sucked into the bureaucratic abyss that is Brussels.

"As Europe ponders its role in the new geopolitical order, Switzerland is looking less and less important to world affairs." The difference here is that I am unaware of Switzerland pretending to be important in world affairs unlike 'Europe' which for some reason the writer fails to recognise Switzerland as lying within. 'Europe' in the EU sense has a vastly bloated sense of its own significance failing to realise that China, India... are where true future (and current?) power lies.