A Vision for Switzerland in 2050

Why We Need a Goal in Switzerland That’s Worth Going the Extra Mile For

Switzerland is a success story: Over the past seventy years, a small country of poor immigrants with no natural resources and no access to the sea has become one of the wealthiest, most stable, and most innovative nations in the world.

Our trains run on time, our universities compete at the world-class level, and our companies deliver precision to every corner of the globe. We practice direct democracy, whereas in other places the people are rarely given a voice. None of this can be taken for granted.

And yet there’s something in the air. You can sense it in conversations with business owners, students, tradespeople, and parents: Switzerland is still doing well, but it’s slowing down. The momentum is waning.

The momentum that has carried us forward for decades seems to be fading away bit by bit. We are managing our prosperity instead of building it anew. And while we settle more and more comfortably into our comfort zone, the foundation of our economic and social prosperity is growing ever thinner. At stake is everything that matters to us as citizens: security, freedom, education, quality of life, a healthy natural environment, and the feeling that we have a bright future ahead of us.

What we lack is a vision.

Ask around to see where Switzerland should be in 2050. You’ll hear many answers to specific questions: about various current debates, the next referendum Sunday, or the next regulation. What you’ll rarely hear is a vision for Switzerland’s future. A goal toward which an entire country could strive.

This lack of such a vision has consequences, and they are becoming increasingly apparent. Start-ups are founded here because our universities are excellent and talented people enjoy living here. But as soon as a company grows to a certain size, it is often not scaled up in Switzerland but sold abroad. Most of the time, the capital needed for scaling is lacking; sometimes it’s a lack of courage, or simply a reluctance to take risks. The innovative idea is born here, but the value is created elsewhere.

At the same time, the basic conditions for entrepreneurship are being gradually rolled back. Even more regulations, even more forms, even more safeguards—and less room for risk-taking and creativity. Pointing out that things are much worse in neighboring countries does little to help. None of these measures is particularly serious on its own. Together, however, they create a climate in which preservation becomes more important than building.

Have we Swiss ever been doers?

In fact, things used to be different, and yes, I’m aware that people tend to romanticize the past a bit—especially when they weren’t personally part of it. Nevertheless, in the 19th century, Alfred Escher, for example, pursued a vision that must have seemed daring to many at the time. He spearheaded the construction of the railroad, championed the founding of ETH Zurich, established the Swiss Credit Institution—a bank designed to provide the capital for these projects—and fought for the Gotthard Railway, which placed Switzerland right at the heart of Europe.

I suspect that Escher probably didn’t think in terms of legislative terms, but rather in terms of generations. He brought together education, infrastructure, and capital into a single whole, and it is precisely this interplay that made today’s modern Switzerland possible. We are still reaping the benefits of it.

Or Duttweiler: In 1925, Gottlieb Duttweiler launched the first mobile stores in Zurich to bring groceries to people at lower prices. The established players fought against him, but he stuck to his guns. This idea gave rise to Migros, a Swiss institution that has spread prosperity, culture, and education far and wide. Duttweiler demonstrated that entrepreneurship and a sense of community are not mutually exclusive. To this day, he remains an entrepreneurial role model for me.

Even the proudest institutions are not built to last forever. Companies have a half-life. Anything that isn’t constantly renewed, managed, and guided by a clear compass will eventually cease to exist. So new, major companies must emerge that can carry the torch forward for Switzerland. Unfortunately, I don’t see any at the moment.

A vision that unites rather than divides

So what follows here is not a party platform. It is not a list of demands that one can—or should—check off as being on the left or the right. It is a vision of where Switzerland could be in 2050 if we dare once again to think big and take our destiny into our own hands. It is meant to inspire confidence and hope—and, above all, to provide a goal for which it is worth going the extra mile as a people and as a community.

I would like to live in a country where political and economic forces do not block each other or work at cross-purposes, but instead largely pull in the same direction. The following points seem important to me in this regard:

1. An independent Switzerland: small, agile, and quick on its feet

A small country can make decisions faster, correct course faster, and act faster than a large confederation with dozens of competing interests. It’s easier to keep track of and easier to manage. Switzerland in 2050 consistently leverages this advantage. It is not part of large alliances that significantly restrict its freedom of action in any way.

Independence does not mean isolation. On the contrary: Switzerland in 2050 is connected to the entire world, trades with everyone, conducts research with everyone, and negotiates as an equal partner.

But she makes her own decisions. This allows her to seize opportunities while others are still weighing their options and coordinating their efforts. She is, so to speak, the nimble speedboat navigating between cumbersome tankers, taking advantage of every current before the others have changed course. This freedom is not an end in itself. It is the prerequisite for success in an age where everything is only accelerating.

2. Culture and Identity: Modern in Appearance, Authentic at Its Core

Despite all the modernization, Switzerland in 2050 will remain Switzerland. It is open to new ideas, at the cutting edge of technology, and connected to the world, yet authentic at its core. The cultural traits that define us remain undiluted: a rural core, federalism, direct democracy, multilingualism, personal responsibility, reliability, down-to-earthness, and the militia principle, under which citizens themselves (must) take responsibility for their community. We address our “issues” with a sense of proportion and pragmatism, and we counter the constant over-regulation of everyday life.

This identity is the foundation that makes innovation possible in the first place. Those who know where they come from can move forward with greater courage.

Protecting our natural environment is also at the heart of this identity. The Alps, the lakes, the forests, and the cultural landscapes are not only beautiful—they are part of who we are. Environmental protection must therefore no longer be a contentious political issue in Switzerland by 2050, but rather a non-political core concern shared by all.

3. Social Justice: Equal Opportunity and the Merit Principle

Switzerland in 2050 does not promise that everyone will be equal or end up with the same amount. It promises something better: that everyone will have the same starting opportunities. And it does everything in its power to maximize those starting opportunities. At the same time, a clear merit-based principle applies. For me, the two are inseparable; equal opportunity without a merit-based principle is like a starting gun without a finish line. A merit-based principle without equal opportunity is a race in which some have a hundred-meter head start.

The most important factor in ensuring equal opportunities is education. Switzerland 2050 is investing heavily—more than any other country—in elementary schools with the best teachers, state-of-the-art facilities, and class sizes, as well as in a dual vocational training system that makes the path from apprentice to entrepreneur just as natural as the path through high school. And, of course, in universities that remain open to every talented student, regardless of their parents’ financial means.

This means that a child from a mountain village has the same opportunities as one from Zurich’s Goldküste. Anyone with an idea has access to knowledge, mentors, and capital. Anyone who wants to start over at fifty can find continuing education that truly helps them advance. In a country where each generation is smaller than the one before it, this isn’t a favor—it’s pure common sense: Every talent that is nurtured counts twice as much.

This is how Switzerland becomes a land of new beginnings—not a country where everything has already been divided up, but one where every generation can start anew. For me, this is the most fundamental form of justice: not dictating the outcome, but opening the path for everyone.

And those who follow this path should be rewarded. In Switzerland in 2050, those who achieve the most, take on responsibility, and demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit will benefit the most. Those who take risks, create value for the greater good, and build something new will not be punished for it, but rather richly rewarded.

Investments in schools, teaching, colleges, and continuing education should not only be a promise to the less fortunate, but also a challenge to the strong. Those who demonstrate talent and ambition will be supported and challenged to the very limits of what is possible. Achievement does not arise in a vacuum. It arises where people are given the tools to surpass themselves, and where that growth subsequently pays off.

On the other hand, anyone who brings about their own hardship through their own fault cannot expect the community to compensate for it beyond an absolute minimum. However, those who fall on hard times through no fault of their own—for example, due to illness, an accident, misfortune, or economic upheaval—will receive reliable support. The clear goal of this support is to help the person get back on their feet quickly and become a contributing member of society once again.

4. A Lean Government: The People’s Back Office

In Switzerland in 2050, the government sees itself as the people’s back office. It is not the boss, but rather a service provider. It ensures that all the basics function properly and otherwise keeps a low profile as much as possible.

To that end, streamlining and automation have been consistently implemented through 20250. Dealing with government agencies is now handled digitally in a matter of minutes. Tasks that a machine can perform better and more cost-effectively are handled by a machine. The people working in government focus on what truly requires human judgment.

The result is a tax burden kept to an absolute minimum. Citizens keep more of what they earn, and businesses find conditions that are sometimes among the best in the world.

A lean government is a strong government because it focuses on what is essential and, in doing so, excels at it.

5. Energy Nation

Anyone talking about prosperity in the 21st century must talk about energy. Data centers, artificial intelligence, electric mobility, heat pumps, modern industry: Everything depends on electricity. Switzerland 2050 recognized this early on and has established itself as an energy nation.

It adopts an open-technology approach, free from ideological blinders. The goal: maximum electricity production while consistently safeguarding the environment. Beyond that, the approach is entirely technology-neutral.

The result: Switzerland is self-sufficient and independent in terms of energy. No one can cut off its electricity, and no one can put pressure on it with energy prices

6. Economic Powerhouse: Number One in the World

Switzerland in 2050 will not settle for a mid-table position. It aims to be number one in the world: in computer science, artificial intelligence, research and development, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. We already have the foundations for this today, with ETH Zurich, EPFL, strong universities, and global corporations in the pharmaceutical industry. What’s missing is turning this into a comprehensive strategy.

This includes a strong financial center that not only manages assets but also serves as a foundation for future investment. The capital held in Switzerland must primarily be used to fund Swiss ideas and generate value here.

Switzerland in 2050 will continue to enact its own sensible laws. It will regulate with a sense of proportion: enough to prevent abuse and build trust, but never so much as to stifle innovation. While others primarily focus on managing new technologies, Switzerland will enable them quickly and responsibly.

7. Defense Capabilities: Strong So That No One Attacks

The world has indeed become more uncertain, and no one knows what it will look like in 2050. The Switzerland of my Vision 2050 is prepared for this: it is resilient, but in a smart way.

Instead of pouring huge budgets into legacy equipment built for yesterday’s wars, it relies on state-of-the-art technology with minimal resources: cyber defense, drones, sensor systems, air defense, and resilient infrastructure. Here, its strength as a hub for technology plays a direct role. What is developed in Swiss laboratories and companies also protects the country, and an army that relies on technology rather than sheer numbers needs fewer personnel and more expertise.

The most important defense, however, is economic strength itself. No one would want to attack a country that is indispensable on the international stage—one that provides technology, medicines, energy, and capital. Switzerland in 2050 will therefore be so strong and interconnected that the likelihood of violent conflicts will be greatly minimized. Defense capability means making peace so valuable that no one would risk it.

A future for Switzerland worth making sacrifices for.

Perhaps you don’t agree with every one of these points. That’s okay, and it’s a good thing. We can and should debate the best path to a great future, just as we’ve always done in Switzerland. However, right now we’re mainly arguing over details. We hardly ever discuss the big picture.

I therefore invite you to follow my example and reflect on the future of Switzerland. We can become such a much better version of ourselves.

Above all, we need a direction—a vision of what we could become in the future. Without this direction, we’ll simply continue to manage the remaining prosperity of the past until it’s all gone. Escher had such a direction. Duttweiler had it. Now it’s our generation’s turn.