All this brouhaha about switzerland and racism seems to be taking the foreign (mainly anglo-saxon) media by storm. It is amazing, first the british press, and now the Washington post seem to be writing hyped articles about what a horrible and racist place Switzerland is. Do you think this will destroy switzerland's reputation?

It will make no long-term difference.

Most "anglo-Saxons" have no idea where Switzerland is, what the languages are or what the capital city is. When has Switzerland ever had a positive press abroad? I know in the UK the only time Switzerland ever makes the press, and this is rare, it is for a negative report.

It seems there is some delight for journalists in the supposed fall of a country perceived as near-perfect. It's only Schadenfreude...

Yep, everyone will think it´s the Swedes!

Last year I heard a piece on NPR about female parking spots in Bern. I got all excited. "That's right!" I thought "you tell 'em". Being a girl most recently from Philly who NEVER feels the need to be walked home, I was quite excited. This sweet little Berner with his strong accent was describing ways of shaming men from parking in the well-lit, safe women-only parking spots.
"You sound pretty desperate" said the interviewer after one such description of billboards with men in skirts or some such nonsense
"Yes. I don't know what this means. We have a film in the Television with such a name, but I don't know what this means."
"Desperate?"
"Yes. Please."
"It means that you will try anything."
"Oh, my. I understand. Now I understand the film."

I've also heard pieces on the UN in Geneva, astro-physisists, and the making of Swiss-army knives in China.

Don't worry, y'all. National Public Radio has got Switzerland's back.
After all, noone's posting photos of the teens dressed in black in Bern "letting the SVP have it" by burning Bell Chicken trucks.

I don't read the French press regularly, but I wonder if some of their journalists are also enjoying the scene right now. I heard a few non-positive comments from Frenchmen back in the States. Only then, it was about the culture, how slow the Swiss-French speak and Nazi gold.

OMG, I heard that too... But from here. I listen to NPR on the internet...
Anyway, I felt really bad for that guy. They should have cut the interview better. The whole things was "desperate"!

He was talking about Desperate Housewives IIRC.

I'm afraid that the image of Switzerland has taken a hit across Europe and in the US. I have chatted to friends who have no interest in Swiss matters, as far away as southern Spain, and they all appear very well informed on the current problems. Especially with the older folks, born before the second world war, they seem to see recognisable behaviours in Switzerland at the moment.

As long as the world focuses on the US, as the great evil, I think Switzerland's reputation will remain intact. Revisionist history without considering historical context is a bit unfair.

Maybe, though it has been all over www.swissinfo.ch.

It is unfortunate that those who are most defensive tend to never listen to criticism. As I know it has been a UN special rapporteur on racism, Doudou Diène, who first brought this issue to light. I'm sure the SVP posters past and present surely didn't help Swiss image, luckily for the Swiss those have only been displayed inside of Switzerland. Sippenhaft?

My personal experience in Switzerland is no different then what it has been in most of Western Europe. Let's just say there is room for improvement with regards to cultural, ethnic, and nationalistic sensitivities. I cannot being to recount how many stories I've had the misfortune to listen to which began with "you know how stupid Americans are?" My Eastern European colleagues are to their misfortune openly protrayed as ignorant gypsies, the lower classes which have invaded the west bringing down the standard of living. Considering Western Europe sat ideally during the Red Terror, Collectivisation, War Communism, or the Dekulakisation of many of our Eastern neighbors, where millions died, Western Europe could do with a little charity to assist their neighbors come in from the 'cold'. There will be much negative that comes with the influx, but also there are positives.

As Americans we welcome criticism and are most often our own harshest critics. The Swiss would do well with a good long hard introverted look.

* Since when has an individual deserved any disrespect without earning it?

Unfortunately, or not, (depending on your personal stance), newspaper images of those posters have been seen across Europe and the US in quality dailies and tabloids alike. The commentary I have seen, has been exclusively negative.

I think in the long run it will get better, I don't think Switzerland's reputation will be destroyed.

My father-in-law moved from CH to Canada over 40 years ago and he is still ignorant to anyone who is not white, and at one point said he "hopes his son will go to Switzerland and marry a nice Swiss girl". Well, I may not be Swiss but I'm pretty freakin' cool if you ask me

I think that the people involved in Swiss politics right now, are still part of the "old school" and as time goes on you'll see more younger, liberal people get involved. I look at my grandparents in Canada, highly political, against gay marriage, decriminilizing pot and all of that "new age" stuff; I think it's the same situation here. People will become more "tolerant" if you will and I think that Switzerland will become more mainstream, but it will take awhile.

It's kind of disheartening to only see bad press, but I think Switzerland is a little on the bland side as far as exciting events go so they have to cover something - right?

Switzerland has retained it's racist reputation since the 1930's.

Click here type 'Switzerland' in the search box and click 'Go' for documented evidence on antisemitism.

If there's one good thing you could say about the Swiss, it's that they're consistent.

True, I meant that they are not posting the posters everywhere as is the case here.

In the end, there has been very lively debate in the rathaus, correct me if i'm wrong on the name, and that in the end is what should happen.

Those who say CH is racist based on a few bad experiences would be quick to judge any place and most probably oversee the otherside of the Swiss. The question for me in the end should be, do the Swiss have more racists then not? If so, how did they come to this and what misinformation is this based on? And how can it be fixed.

To say there is anywhere in the world with 0% racism is beyond naive.

peace/jg

You're right no where in the world there is 0% racism but some countries are taking it more seriously than others

SVP is undeterred by negative foreign press coverage:

=Rightwing claims success with "black sheep"= Image caption: People's Party President Maurer (left) hails the "black sheep" campaign as a great success (Keystone)


===Related stories===

• Swiss image under scrutiny of foreign media
• Funding free-for-all favours rightwing
• Sheep poster gets black marks from UN

The rightwing Swiss People's Party says it has collected over 170,000 signatures in three months for its initiative to expel foreign criminals.

The proposal has caused controversy at home and abroad in particular for its accompanying "black sheep" poster campaign, which has been accused of racism, depicting three white sheep kicking a black sheep out of the country.

The initiative calls for any foreigner condemned of murder, rape, robbery, drug trafficking, burglary, human trafficking or social security abuse to have their residence permit taken away. Once thrown out of the country, they cannot return for up to 15 years, or even 20 if they re-offend.

Under the Swiss constitution, the campaigners have 18 months - until January 2009 – to collect at least 100,000 signatures from citizens to force a nationwide vote.

At a news conference in the capital, Bern, on Monday the People's Party thanked other Swiss political parties for their criticism of the initiative, which they said had increased public attention.

What's this?

• People's initiative

===Effective poster===
The poster will go down in People's Party history as one of the most effective ever used, said People's Party parliamentarian Toni Brunner.

"Attacks similar to those made by the United Nations' special rapporteur on racism, Doudou Diène, and the Swiss president, Micheline Calmy-Rey, had increased by four or five the number of signatures," said Brunner.

In August Calmy-Rey denounced the "black sheep" posters as "irresponsible" and liable to incite racial hatred, while Diène called on the party to withdraw them and sought explanations from the Swiss government.

The People's Party provocative campaign and immigration plans and build-up to the October 21 elections have also recently captured media attention across the world.

A week ago police clashed with several hundred leftwing militants who stopped a march of supporters of the People's Party which had been trying to hold a pre-election rally outside the parliament building in Bern.

===Foreign media===
Brunner took a swipe at the foreign press, which he claimed had been guilty of writing critical articles "directed by the left and some of which were completely false".

At the news conference, Ueli Maurer, president of the People's Party, refused to answer questions posed by a foreign journalist.

"I don't give interviews to foreign journalists; I want to win the elections in Switzerland," he said.

In related news, a legal complaint by the Communist Party over the "black sheep" poster has been rejected.

The justice authorities in Zurich said they had suspended an investigation because xenophobia and racism were two separate issues.

Further complaints are pending in other cantons.

swissinfo with agencies