Economic boom makes Swiss more optimistic about future
Sunday, 26 August 2007
GENEVA, Aug 25 (Xinhua): Switzerland's buoyant economy has had a positive effect on the society-it has made residents feel more optimistic about the future, according to a study published yesterday.
The Security 2007 survey, published by Zurich's Federal Institute of Technology, also found that the Swiss are less afraid of a terrorist attack than they were last year, the Swissinfo website reported.
According to the institute's Centre for Security Studies (CSS), 79 per cent of the Swiss surveyed-an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year-are confident about Switzerland's future and are not as pessimistic as they were about the situation globally.
"It's normal during an economic boom that optimism increases. That's the case this year as it was in 2001," one of the authors of the report, Karl Haltiner, told Swissinfo.
Surprising at first glance is the growing trust the Swiss have in their government, since disputes among members of the seven-member cabinet are increasingly carried out in public.
However, Haltiner believes the government is often given credit when things go well economically. This was mirrored in the fact that most people back the government's policy to remain out of the European Union and to continue to develop ties through bilateral accords.
Nearly unchanged was the percentage of people (86 per cent) who said they were convinced they live in a safe country.
Only 12 per cent said they felt they could be victims of a terrorist attack-half as many who saw an immediate danger following the Madrid bombing three years ago.
But four out of ten believed terrorists could still carry out a strike in Switzerland.
"The figures are far below the European average. We (Swiss) have been spared from attack up to now and there is a higher ratio of fear in Spain and Britain and even in Germany," Haltiner said.
"We have asked people about the impact of neutrality and they say they don't believe (the policy) is protecting Switzerland from terrorism." But nine out of ten did not want to see the government give up its neutral stance, Haltiner said.
The Security 2007 survey, published by Zurich's Federal Institute of Technology, also found that the Swiss are less afraid of a terrorist attack than they were last year, the Swissinfo website reported.
According to the institute's Centre for Security Studies (CSS), 79 per cent of the Swiss surveyed-an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year-are confident about Switzerland's future and are not as pessimistic as they were about the situation globally.
"It's normal during an economic boom that optimism increases. That's the case this year as it was in 2001," one of the authors of the report, Karl Haltiner, told Swissinfo.
Surprising at first glance is the growing trust the Swiss have in their government, since disputes among members of the seven-member cabinet are increasingly carried out in public.
However, Haltiner believes the government is often given credit when things go well economically. This was mirrored in the fact that most people back the government's policy to remain out of the European Union and to continue to develop ties through bilateral accords.
Nearly unchanged was the percentage of people (86 per cent) who said they were convinced they live in a safe country.
Only 12 per cent said they felt they could be victims of a terrorist attack-half as many who saw an immediate danger following the Madrid bombing three years ago.
But four out of ten believed terrorists could still carry out a strike in Switzerland.
"The figures are far below the European average. We (Swiss) have been spared from attack up to now and there is a higher ratio of fear in Spain and Britain and even in Germany," Haltiner said.
"We have asked people about the impact of neutrality and they say they don't believe (the policy) is protecting Switzerland from terrorism." But nine out of ten did not want to see the government give up its neutral stance, Haltiner said.