Various

Vietnam and “chip & bamboo diplomacy”

by Guy Mettan,* Geneva

(25 January 2024) In 2022, I published a major report on the economic transformations of Vietnam, notably visiting the large Vinfast electric car factory in Haiphong. A friendship has linked me to this country for twenty-five years. In the early 2000s, I had to go there multiple times to prepare a book on the Geneva Accords which ended the Indochina War in 1954 and I was able to meet a number of veterans of Dien-Bien-Phu, including the famous General Giap. The rapidity of the changes since then is fascinating.
A trip to the Russian-Kazakh steppe

Where Europe and Asia begin

by Guy Mettan,* Geneva

(19 July 2023) I know you’re good at geography, but I dare you to tell me where Orenburg is. This city of 600,000 inhabitants is located at the foot of the Ural Mountains, in the middle of the Russian-Kazakh steppe, on the border of Europe and Asia. For us, in the middle of nowhere.
Book review

“Between worlds”

A book by Julie Zeh and Simon Urban

by Tankred Schaer, Germany

(13 June 2023) (Edit.) More and more citizens are noticing that the major media as well as a considerable part of the political representatives are reporting or taking a stand on important questions of life in a more or less homogeneous way. In the question of war and peace, of Corona and health care, of education and child rearing, of gender and diversity – to name just a few current topics.
Commentary

Media in times of war

On having “the right” opinion

(4 April 2023) (rs) Currently, half of Europe is at war with the USA in Ukraine. Switzerland is not only involved in the “Partnership for Peace”, but also in the media, which marches in step with the big media houses in the USA and Europe. Only a few media today manage to work in a differentiated and independent manner.

Russia is about to part from Europe

by Guy Mettan,* freelance journalist

(25 January 2023) In mid-December, I had the opportunity to make a short trip to Moscow and Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia located 4000 kilometres from the Ukrainian front. That gave me enough time to evaluate the public opinion of the Russian population after ten months of war.

Journey to the Western Black Sea Coast

by Guy Mettan,* freelance journalist

(9 January 2023) While one hears a lot about the Baltic States and Poland in the Ukraine conflict, the countries in the South, on the other hand, are very discreet. A forum on peace and neutrality in Chisinau and various meetings organised on the occasion of the Bulgarian elections on 2 October allowed me to visit Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria earlier this month.