A clear signal in favour of Europe - Soirée with perfect timing

As we all know, timing is everything. In the case of the Parliamentary Group for the Textile Industry, it could not have chosen a better time for its Soirée Textil 2026 last night: The Federal Council was submitting the dispatch on the Bilateral Agreements III to Parliament in the same session.

The guests - representatives of SMEs - used the evening to emphasise the urgency of good relations with the EU. The EU is the Swiss textile and clothing industry's most important trading partner. In a geopolitically tense situation, reliable relations are more important than ever.

Industry meets the Federal Palace

This is precisely the importance of the soirée: it creates a space for dialogue between the industry and politicians, directly and without a lot of staging. Parliamentarians meet entrepreneurs. Positions are sharpened, new contacts made or deepened - whether on the left or right side of the table.

Carl Illi warned against "l'esprit de l'escalier"

Carl Illi also used his speech to make a clear plea on the subject of European policy. With the bon mot "l'esprit de l'escalier" - where the right answer only comes to mind on the stairs - the President of Swiss Textiles warned of wrong decisions with long-term consequences: "If we jeopardise good relations with the EU with a Yes to the Chaos Initiative or later with a No to the Bilateral Agreements III, the damage will be irreversible. There is no going back."

Cohesion and openness - regardless of party colour

Against this backdrop, Illi spoke at the Hotel Bellevue in Bern in favour of cohesion and openness. While the world seems to be increasingly drifting apart and the law of the jungle is once again asserting itself, he demanded: "We need open markets, we need young talent and skilled foreign workers. His appeal: "This can only be achieved together, regardless of party affiliation."

Textile recycling as a political and practical issue

As President of the Parliamentary Group, National Councillor Regine Sauter focussed on extended producer responsibility for textiles. It is intended to create the basis for an industry solution in national textile recycling - modelled on the PET system.

To this end, Swiss Textiles is working with the Fabric Loop association, which was founded in 2024, on a nationwide collection and recycling system. It is to be financed via advance recycling contributions. Crucially, the system should apply to all market participants, including foreign online platforms such as Temu and Shein.

However, On is also a major market player. What began 15 years ago as a modest shoe start-up is now a global company with a turnover of over CHF 3 billion. Co-founder Caspar Coppetti spoke about its development, the transformation from a workbench to an ideas factory and the framework conditions that make such paths possible in Switzerland.

The fashion show - for years the silent main attraction of the Soirée - belonged this time to Pelikamo, Maison Miaki and Solané. They showed the National Councillors and Councillors of States present what's in this spring.

When the right moment decides

And so many things came together yesterday evening: Competitiveness, the circular economy and Europe. Debates and issues that will not be decided for the industry at some point, but now. The fact that this became apparent in a week in which Bern was taking the next steps in European policy lent the event its own poignancy.