Switzerland and Austria correspondent for @financialtimes.com based in Zurich, via Singapore and Hong Kong. ft.com/mercedes-ruehl Get in touch: Mercedes.Ruehl@FT.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mlnz7ac6tk2jThe billionaire Hayek family that controls The Swatch Group thwarted a fresh attempt by US activist investor Steven Wood to win a seat on its board, despite strong backing for his candidacy from minority shareholders. https://as.ft.com/r/a04001b8-a945-4bd0-bb1d-fbd1c1b2a09212 May 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnz7ac6tk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mjh43ryhdc2x The entrepreneur behind the Micro scooter craze that took the world by storm is taking on the Swiss government over climate benefits that exclude his latest venture — the Microlino electric “bubble car”. https://as.ft.com/r/c64dfeee-695b-4488-afba-0e783baf6ccc14 Apr 2026 09:49 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjh43ryhdc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mjey63mkuk26Switzerland’s “marriage penalty”: Why being married can cost you thousands more in taxes https://as.ft.com/r/bba7a64c-5473-4c5d-b664-fa124b48420b The price of marriage in Switzerland13 Apr 2026 13:33 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjey63mkuk26https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mfh4zhq2ok2hhttps://as.ft.com/r/37f77fb1-0fcb-4221-a128-a2c3139af1b2 Palantir sues magazine that revealed Switzerland rejected its approaches With @rafeuddin.ft.com22 Feb 2026 12:25 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfh4zhq2ok2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3memagnmbxs2tOne of the more unusual referendums I’ve reported on so far in Switzerland : citizens in June will vote on on putting a hard cap of 10mn on their population (it’s already at 9.1mn 😳) https://www.ft.com/content/675538b9-2a7b-4296-aad9-2a930e61f369?shareType=nongift Switzerland to vote on plan to cap population at 10mn11 Feb 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3memagnmbxs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mdl63qjkus2zFrom Switzerland, Partners Group built a $185bn business by serving individual investors. Bigger US rivals now have the market in their sights. Can it keep its edge? https://www.ft.com/content/7b9e7575-f35b-4bd8-a901-f3af3525d75329 Jan 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdl63qjkus2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mdl5z3bnvs2zIn today's paper: How the celestial calendar met high finance for the upcoming SpaceX IPO https://www.ft.com/content/0ee356cb-5c77-4686-9392-26052036912229 Jan 2026 16:03 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdl5z3bnvs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mdbfi3n3ks22How to get our kids to read books “…we risk something even starker than the further decline of a subject: losing generations of young readers and the curiosity, empathy and creativity that reading can inspire” https://as.ft.com/r/b25fc9b5-36e4-4926-8d13-d5b5729b615a25 Jan 2026 18:50 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdbfi3n3ks22https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3md5zdb3rkk24Nigel Farage attended Davos on a pass sponsored by the family office of Iranian billionaire Sasan Ghandehari, which told the WEF that the Reform UK leader had advised the company since 2018. W @ortenca.bsky.social and Anna Gross https://as.ft.com/r/9d784a9c-e143-4253-a5a8-ab85ffba6bee24 Jan 2026 10:34 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3md5zdb3rkk24https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3mal2645pt22eToday’s FT big read: Can Switzerland adapt to a harder global order ? There is a perception that the country’s bearings are shifting. Yet Switzerland enters this turbulent period with formidable economic strengths. https://as.ft.com/r/17d3bbe3-5b7a-4403-818c-8f0356ea2925 Is Switzerland losing its place in the world?22 Dec 2025 10:38 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mal2645pt22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3m7s2amliek2wUBS shares have climbed to their highest level in more than 17 years, buoyed by growing investor optimism that Swiss lawmakers will reach a compromise on proposals to impose tougher capital rules on the bank. https://as.ft.com/r/4bcf8118-64b1-45fc-9dd5-468d0ec7313212 Dec 2025 12:03 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7s2amliek2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3m6wexrb5kk2x Swiss prosecutors have filed charges against Credit Suisse and its owner UBS over alleged organisational “deficiencies” linked to a roughly $7mn payment at the centre of the Mozambique $2bn “tuna bonds” scandal. on.ft.com/4osWdcP https://on.ft.com/4osWdcP01 Dec 2025 12:00 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6wexrb5kk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3m4d2lirh6s2oUBS will appeal a Swiss court decision that found a writedown of nearly SFr16.5bn in Credit Suisse bonds lacked a sufficient legal basis. on.ft.com/4qDcYV6 https://on.ft.com/4qDcYV629 Oct 2025 08:44 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4d2lirh6s2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3m2qkvl3nhs25Does the world still need Davos? https://www.ft.com/content/8f7dcf0e-ec4c-4643-9d95-d2a1b2fdea0909 Oct 2025 06:50 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2qkvl3nhs25https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3lxwodxfars24on.ft.com/4g7GjSv Denials and defiance: Nestlé chief’s exit over relationship prompts investor unrest https://on.ft.com/4g7GjSv03 Sep 2025 12:52 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxwodxfars24https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3lvs4ns2dlc2iCelebrating democracy in Switzerland with wurst and a show of hands on.ft.com/3JkWlfn Switzerland celebrates hands-on democracy (with sausages) https://on.ft.com/3JkWlfn07 Aug 2025 06:34 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvs4ns2dlc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3lvdefcgzgs2ton.ft.com/45ftksS Switzerland in ‘shock’ at 39% US tariff blow https://on.ft.com/45ftksS01 Aug 2025 09:43 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvdefcgzgs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3lv4vhmtkqs25Be interesting to see if any heads will roll at UBS over this on.ft.com/4mhC9t4 UBS orders bankers to scale back sale of complex currency products https://on.ft.com/4mhC9t429 Jul 2025 20:00 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3lv4vhmtkqs25https://bsky.app/profile/mjruehl.bsky.social/post/3lukge7hzf225Scoop: After the US pullback, China is making a concerted effort to expand its influence throughout the UN. Story here with @henryjfoy.ft.com @lauramdubois.ft.com and Joe Leahy here: https://www.ft.com/content/e289023c-a7ac-4b6d-ab45-908ce4163b1222 Jul 2025 11:41 +0000at://did:plc:geotmxjbdtsbsc5meucemtmu/app.bsky.feed.post/3lukge7hzf225