Crans-Montana tragedy highlights limits of Swiss federal system

The deadly New Year’s Eve blaze in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana has raised questions and criticism abroad: how could such a tragedy occur in Switzerland, which is often viewed as "the land of rules"? An analysis by Swissinfo journalists. A few days after the devastating fire in the Le Constellation bar, one thing is clear: the tragedy was avoidable. If the existing safety standards had been properly applied, the death toll - 40 victims, including 20 minors, and 116 injured - would probably have been much lower. The disaster might not even have happened. This has not escaped the attention of the rest of the world. Among Switzerland’s immediate neighbours, emotions are running high, amid incomprehension and anger. “Perhaps it's time for the country of supposed perfection to lower its sights, not out of shame, but to face reality,” wrote the Italian press. Switzerland is being forced to rise to the challenge of a dramatic event which is disrupting its traditional way of doing ...