Attacks on Swiss politicians: rare, but not unheard of

Physical attacks on Swiss politicians are rare, and the number of threats has declined in recent years. However, the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) still registered an average of one reported threat per day last year, the Keystone-SDA news agency reports. In 2023, Fedpol received 290 reports, 238 fewer than in 2022. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when anger towards politicians spiked, there were 1,215 annual reports. However, the nature of the threats has recently been worrying and the tone has been particularly nasty, Fedpol wrote in its 2023 annual report. In 62 cases, threats were serious enough to warrant action – ranging from issuing warnings to pressing criminal charges. Polarising political topics in Switzerland and around the world lead to heated discussions, particularly on social media, Fedpol reported. This in turn can lead to emotional reactions which regularly result in threats against people in need of federal protection. Since autumn 2022, members of ...