Learning from Denmark means learning how to win: why successful examples matter

For inspiration, Switzerland should look less toward Berlin and more toward Copenhagen. The article begins with a scene from the mountains: a senior hiker carrying a heavy pack passes effortlessly, then a younger couple is overtaken in turn. At the summit, a map app shows whether one's time was fast or slow compared with the average.

Those moments reflect three motives behind comparison. Looking upward seeks a role model. Looking downward seeks reassurance. Checking the app seeks orientation. The same patterns shape how Switzerland views itself. In many current debates, the article argues, the country is driven mainly by the desire for confirmation, especially when its self-image feels under pressure.

In German-speaking Switzerland, Germany often serves that purpose. The delays of Deutsche Bahn are a familiar object of ridicule, and the figures appear to support the feeling. In 2025, SBB long-distance trains recorded punctuality of just under 93%, compared with about 60% for Deutsche Bahn. But the measurements are not identical: Switzerland counts delays from three minutes, while Germany starts at six.

Such downward comparisons may produce schadenfreude, the article says, but they do not help Switzerland improve. They can instead hide domestic weaknesses, including failed rolling-stock purchases. The new double-decker long-distance trains operated by SBB are more punctual, but less comfortable than Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains.

The alternative is to use comparison for orientation and examine the whole picture. The article cites the United Nations e-government index, where Switzerland ranks 26th among 193 countries, ahead of France in 34th place but behind the country named in the truncated passage. The central argument is clear: success should be tested against stronger examples, not protected through comparisons with weaker ones.