DailyDrop Switzerland edition No. 15 · Morning · MON., OCT. 19, 2026 · France: After Saturday’s riots the government cites at least 1,800…

The number of arrests rose on October 17 and 18: on Saturday evening Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu cited around 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers (CBC, franceinfo). AP reports at least 1,800 arrests, 855 of them in Paris, as relayed by NPR. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez spoke on Sunday of more than 2,000 arrests and more than 600 injured police officers (CNN, The National). France 24, Al Jazeera and ICI most recently report 2,397 arrests and 997 injured police officers and gendarmes, seven of them seriously. The government counted around 550,000 participants (RTE, CNN), the CGT and the organizers 800,000 (RTE, ICI). Macron addressed the nation on Sunday evening (franceinfo, RTE, Al Jazeera, France 24). In Annemasse near Geneva, eleven shops were looted and four people were taken into custody (Tribune de Genève, ODS Radio).

When the government and the organizers put turnout 250,000 people apart, the picture of the day depends on whose figure you read. The same goes for the arrests, whose number rose over the course of the day from around 1,200 through 1,800 to 2,397. For politics, what counts is whether the tally is shaped by the riots or by the demands for a lower cost of living.

Anyone in Geneva, Basel or the Jura who has dealings with France will find no report so far of restrictions on cross-border traffic. For commuters, it is worth keeping an eye on the situation in border towns such as Annemasse over the coming days.

The government’s figures put the riots in the foreground: arrests and injured officers come first in the interior ministry’s tally. From this view the day is above all a question of law and order.

The organizers and the CGT stress the figure of 800,000 participants, which Euronews links to rising fuel prices and the cost of living. Le Temps writes that France is looking for explanations. From this view the anger over prices and household budgets is at the centre.

What is established: arrests rose from around 1,200 through at least 1,800 to 2,397, injured officers from 150 through more than 600 to 997, and Macron addressed the nation on Sunday evening. In Annemasse eleven shops were looted. What is not established is how many people demonstrated peacefully, since the government and the organizers count differently. Today, watch whether the interior ministry releases new figures and whether rallies are announced.

franceinfo (10/18), ICI (10/18), NPR/AP (10/17), CBC (10/17), CNN (10/18), The National (10/18), France 24 (10/18), Al Jazeera (10/18), RTE (10/18), Le Temps (10/18), Euronews (10/16), Tribune de Genève (10/18), ODS Radio (10/18)

Foreign affairs · France✓ 13 outlets · arrest and turnout figures rose over the course of the day and differ by source

France: After Saturday’s riots the government cites at least 1,800 arrests (AP), Macron addresses the nation on Sunday evening

The number of arrests rose over the course of the day from around 1,200 to at least 1,800 and then to almost 2,400; turnout remains disputed: 550,000 according to the government, 800,000 according to the organizers.

Serious riots broke out in France on Saturday, October 17, during the nationwide mobilization against the high cost of living. The arrest figures rose over the course of the day and come from the prime minister, the Paris police prefecture and the interior ministry, each at different times. On Saturday evening Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu cited around 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers, according to CBC and franceinfo. The news agency AP reports at least 1,800 arrests, 855 of them in Paris according to the police prefecture, as relayed by NPR. On Sunday Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez spoke of more than 2,000 arrests and more than 600 injured police officers, according to CNN and The National. The interior ministry’s latest tally puts arrests at 2,397 and injured police officers and gendarmes at 997, seven of them seriously, according to France 24, Al Jazeera and ICI. Le Temps also cites 2,397 arrests. Accounts of turnout diverge: Nuñez estimates it at around 550,000 people, according to RTE and CNN, while the CGT union and the organizers cite 800,000, according to RTE and ICI. According to Euronews, the movement began on social networks as a protest against rising fuel prices, then widened to the cost of living and joined up with protests by schoolchildren.

President Emmanuel Macron addressed the population in a televised speech on Sunday evening, as franceinfo, RTE, Al Jazeera and France 24 report. Le Temps writes on Sunday evening that France is speechless after the chaos on the fringes of the rallies and is looking for explanations. The consequences reach as far as the Swiss border: in Annemasse near Geneva, eleven shops were looted and trashed on Saturday evening, as the Tribune de Genève and ODS Radio report. Four people were arrested, according to these reports, and the riots there followed a demonstration the same day. Mayor Gabriel Doublet condemned the looting and urged parents to be vigilant. The reports thus capture two different levels, the national tally of the interior ministry and the local situation in the border region. Whether the rallies will continue in the coming days and whether the government will publish further figures is not stated in the reports at hand.

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Céline Amaudruz, SVP National Councillor from Geneva and vice president of her party, announced on October 15 her candidacy to succeed Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin. The Tages-Anzeiger, cash, nau.ch, bluewin and 20 Minuten describe her as the first confirmed candidate. If elected, she would be the first SVP woman on the Federal Council. The SVP parliamentary group decides on November 20 on its ticket, and the Federal Assembly votes on December 9. According to 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève, French-speaking Swiss support her candidacy, while the Zurich side voices reservations. The NZZ headlines that Amaudruz must first overcome the Röstigraben.

The candidate must first convince her own parliamentary group before the Federal Assembly decides. That is why it matters whether French-speaking Swiss and Zurichers in the SVP can agree on a joint ticket. The reports show that the question touches region against region and party line against individual opinion at the same time.

The December 9 election decides who sits on the Federal Council after Parmelin’s departure. Anyone interested in federal politics can follow until November 20 which names end up on the parliamentary group’s ticket.

Supporters, according to the French-language reports, see in Amaudruz the candidate who secures a seat for French-speaking Switzerland and who would be the first SVP woman newly on the Federal Council. The French-speaking sections stand behind her.

Critics point out, according to the reports, that she has repeatedly voted against the party line on social issues, and the Zurich side voices reservations. From their view the party needs a broader choice.

What is established: the candidacy, the dates of November 20 and December 9, and the tension between French-speaking Swiss and Zurichers. What is not established is who else will run and whether the parliamentary group will propose a two-person ticket. Today and in the coming weeks, watch whether further candidacies become known.

Tages-Anzeiger (10/15), NZZ (10/16), 20 Minuten (10/15), nau.ch (10/15), bluewin (10/15), cash (10/15), 24 heures (10/18), Tribune de Genève (10/18)

Domestic · Federal Council✓ 8 outlets · further candidacies open, parliamentary group decides on November 20

Céline Amaudruz wants to become the first SVP woman on the Federal Council; the party shows a divide between French-speaking Swiss and Zurichers

Céline Amaudruz, a Geneva SVP National Councillor and vice president of the party, announced in Geneva on October 15 her candidacy to succeed Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin. The Tages-Anzeiger, cash, nau.ch, bluewin and 20 Minuten, among others, report this. According to these reports she is the first confirmed candidate and, if elected, would be the first SVP woman on the Federal Council. The SVP parliamentary group decides on November 20 whom it puts on its official ticket; the United Federal Assembly votes on December 9. Within the party the candidacy is not uncontested. The reports note that Amaudruz has repeatedly voted against the party line on social issues. According to 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève, the French-speaking sections stand behind her, while the Zurich wing voices reservations. According to the summaries of 24 heures and the Tribune de Genève, the Sunday press describes a Röstigraben within the SVP, and the NZZ headlines its piece with the observation that Amaudruz must first overcome the Röstigraben. Who else will run is open in the reports.

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Inside

Danish reactor developer Copenhagen Atomics wants to move its headquarters from Copenhagen to the canton of ZugThe company develops small thorium reactors and has already registered Zug Atomics AG in Zug. Company head Thomas Jam Pedersen calls the EU over-regulated and hostile to industry; there is a test agreement with the Paul Scherrer Institute.Energy · ✓ 7 outlets

An Edelweiss Airbus A340 turns back after takeoff in Zurich and dumps around 45 tonnes of kerosene over the AlpsFlight WK34 to Punta Cana had to return to Zurich on Saturday because of a landing gear problem. Edelweiss says the aircraft was too heavy to land and there was no danger.Aviation · ✓ 5 outlets

A body is found after a fire in a Lugano building on Via Cortivallo overnight into SundayTwenty-two residents were evacuated; six suffered mild smoke poisoning and did not need to go to hospital. Public prosecutor Chiara Buzzi is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire.Panorama · ✓ 5 outlets

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Linthal GL is felt across large parts of Switzerland early on Sunday morningThe Swiss Seismological Service (SED) recorded the quake at 4:37 a.m. at a depth of around 2.4 kilometres. No injuries or building damage are known; the SED considers minor damage near the epicentre possible.Nature · ✓ 5 outlets

FC Aarau knock FC Zurich out of the second round of the Swiss Cup with a 2-0 winAfriyie scores both goals in the sold-out Brügglifeld. 20 Minuten and Blick report that Aarau last beat the city club in the Cup in 1996.Sport · ✓ 5 outlets

PK Softech AG, software supplier to the federal pension fund Publica, has been the target of a cyberattack. Publica confirmed the company’s name to AWP (cash). SRF and cash report that the company detected the attack at the end of September and filed a criminal complaint. The Office of the Attorney General is investigating. According to netzwoche, Publica names as possibly leaked contact data, AHV numbers, salary and assets details, spouses and account numbers. According to netzwoche and bluewin, the Migros pension fund, the City of Zurich pension fund and Bernese funds have also reported being affected. The NZZ writes of possibly well over 100,000 insured people affected, but stresses the uncertainty.

The attack hit the supplier, not the funds themselves. Because several funds use the same software, a single incident can affect many insured people. The question of who stored the data where is therefore as central as the question of the extent of the leak.

Anyone insured with one of the funds named should watch for communications from their fund and be wary of unexpected calls or payment demands. Personal data such as the AHV number or account number should not be confirmed over the phone.

Publica stresses, according to the reports, that the pension assets are not affected and operations are running. PK Softech states, according to SRF and netzwoche, that only its own system is affected, not that of its customers.

The reports from the NZZ and finews show that the attack is spreading further and that the number of people possibly affected could be considerably larger. From this view the funds’ reassurance is premature as long as the extent is open.

What is established: the attack on PK Softech, the investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and the reports from several funds. What is not established: the actual data leak and the number of people affected. Watch whether further funds report incidents and whether the Office of the Attorney General publishes results.

SRF (10/8–10/18), NZZ (10/8–10/18), cash (10/8–10/18), finews (10/8–10/18), watson (10/8–10/18), bluewin (10/8–10/18), netzwoche (10/8)

Digital · Data protection✓ 7 outlets · number of insured people affected unconfirmed

Cyberattack on software supplier PK Softech: data of the federal pension fund Publica and other funds may have leaked

A cyberattack on the software supplier PK Softech AG may affect data of Publica, the federal pension fund. Publica confirmed the company’s name to the AWP news agency, as cash reports. According to SRF and cash, PK Softech detected the attack at the end of September and filed a criminal complaint; the Office of the Attorney General is investigating. According to netzwoche and SRF, Publica names as possibly leaked address and contact data, AHV numbers, details on salary, pension assets and pension, as well as on spouses and account numbers. The pension funds themselves are not affected and ongoing operations are not impaired, Publica states. Which data actually leaked is open according to the reports.

The circle of those affected is growing: according to netzwoche and bluewin, the Migros pension fund and the City of Zurich pension fund have also reported possible data leaks, and in the canton of Bern the Bernese Pension Fund and the Bernese Teachers’ Insurance Fund may be affected, according to netzwoche. finews and the NZZ report that the attack is spreading further; the NZZ writes that the data of well over 100,000 insured people could be in the hands of criminals, but stresses that this is still unclear. None of the funds gives a number of insured people affected. Publica declined to say whether a ransom was demanded, citing the ongoing investigation.

Open the story and DailyDrop’s take

DailyDrop.

France: After Saturday’s riots the government cites at least 1,800 arrests (AP), Macron addresses the nation on Sunday evening

Céline Amaudruz wants to become the first SVP woman on the Federal Council; the party shows a divide between French-speaking Swiss and Zurichers

Cyberattack on software supplier PK Softech: data of the federal pension fund Publica and other funds may have leaked

SVP delegates set their recommendations in Bulle for November 29: No to VAT for the AHV, Yes to the War Material Act

The SBB counts 97 heat-related track deformations this summer; an ETH Zurich expert warns of derailments

In brief

Unverified — what we could not confirm

What to watch today