The various threats in Switzerland

Patron of the SRC, Christian Dussey presented this Wednesday the 2025 report of the intelligence service. Keystone

The unpredictable President Trump destabilizes the world scene, Russian and Chinese spies are very active in Switzerland, and the greatest terrorist threat to our territory comes from young radicalized online: the main points of the last Confederation Intelligence Report (SRC).

Christoph Bernet / CH Media

The terrorist threat to Switzerland remains high, according to the Confederation Intelligence Service (SRC). The most likely acts of violence are those committed by isolated individuals or small groups using simple means, indicates the 2025 situation report published Wednesday by the SRC.

The terrorist radicalization of young people

The terrorist risk continues to be shaped by the phenomenon of online jihadist radicalization:

These young people are often ideologically unstable, and it is more fascination for violence that motivates their acts rather than deep ideological convictions.

Radicalization often begins with the use of social networks, where young people are exposed for the first time to jihadist content on open platforms, before continuing this process in more closed and radical online circles. These developments generally occur in a short time and are difficult to detect. In last year’s report, the terrorist threat was still described as “high and accentuated”. Asked about this, the director of the SRC, Christian Dussey, explains that many successful operations were carried out last year against radicalized young people, including several arrests.

This is also reflected in the figures: in 2024, the SRC led 55 measures requiring an authorization in the field of terrorism, against zero in 2023 and three in 2022. Without going into details, Christian Dussey indicated that the SRC had prevented several terrorist attacks of Islamist origin in Switzerland and abroad in the past two years.

Switzerland in the spy crossroads

According to the SRC, the threat of espionage in Switzerland also remains high. The country remains a privileged area of ​​operations for espionage in Europe.

According to the SRC, The greatest threat still comes from Russia and China. These two countries have a strong presence of intelligence services in their diplomatic representations. China and Russia have the means to “target” – according to jargon – federal institutions, police, companies, international organizations or universities in Switzerland.

Cyber: a danger for the Swiss technological place

Privileged targets are in particular companies and research centers in the armaments and new technologies sectors.

For critical infrastructure operators, the cyber attacks led by Russia and other state actors represent a “important threat”. As part of the hybrid war, these actors could launch targeted sabotage, whether kinetics (physical) or produced by cybernetic means, against critical infrastructure in Switzerland.

The left and right extremism differ

The threat from violent far left and extreme right scenes remains according to the SRC “at a high and stable level”. The potential for violence of the far left is important, but will probably go to the future mainly against material goods.

The midst of the far right ranges especially in hiding and seeks to make itself known via videos of non -violent actions. However, there is an increase in the number of young people who are radicaling on the internet and nourish far-right terrorist projects.

Confrontation between China and the United States

The international order is in full transformation:

The security situation around Switzerland is deteriorating from year to year.

The first six tumultuous months of the new American administration under Donald Trump led the SRC to reassess the world situation. So far, he considered the emergence of two spheres: on the one hand, democratic and liberal states under the leadership of the United States, on the other, the “Eurasian autocracies” that are China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.

With Trump’s return to the White House, American policy has become more unpredictable, which destabilizes the international scene. Its foreign and security policy can be described as “nationalist”. The extent of the future influence of the United States as a global ordering power remains uncertain. Trump rejects the liberal international order shaped by the United States, which makes the picture of the two competing spheres not obsolete, but more complex.

Europe security questioned

Trump at least questioned, rhetorical, the transatlantic defense alliance, which has strongly destabilized Europe. According to the SRC, its administration sowed doubt on the credibility of article 5 of the NATO Treaty (mutual defense clause).

Despite clearly increased defense expenses, European states remain “dependent on the United States on the security level for many years”. If Trump significantly reduced the American military presence in Europe and abandoned the mutual defense clause, Europe would face a security gap at least until 2030. Such a “nightmare scenario for Europe” would also imply reduced protection for Switzerland.

War in Ukraine and threat of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains solidly anchored in power internally and continues to give the highest priority to war against Ukraine, underlines the SRC. Militarily, Russia does not feel sufficiently under pressure to accept negotiations peace imposed by the United States.

A truce would give Russia time to further strengthen its military potential. Putin’s objective is to restore the status of Russia as a great imperial power.

Beyond Ukraine, it is mainly Moldova and the Baltic States that are threatened. As long as the conflict in Ukraine continues at high intensity, Russia cannot simultaneously challenge NATO directly on the conventional level.

It is however possible that Putin first tests the effectiveness of the NATO defense clause in the Baltic States by hybrid operations, before hitting militarily when the occasion is favorable.

Translated and adapted by Noëline Flippe

The Geneva Fire and Rescue Service (SIS) intervened on Wednesday afternoon in a Geneva building, following the start of a detritus fire. About twenty people were evacuated due to the presence of smoke.

When they arrived around 3:21 p.m., the emergency services noted a significant release of black smoke in the street as well as in the floors of the building. Among the people evacuated, eleven were checked and two were transported to the HUG for additional examinations, the SIS in a statement on Wednesday evening.