The 100 figures shaping economic, political, sporting and cultural news

Le Temps’s 2026 list of 100 influential figures opens with the people who responded to the Constellation tragedy in Crans-Montana. The disaster brought what the publication describes as an indescribable shock to Switzerland and caused strong emotion internationally.

The list recognizes those who helped confront the emergency by naming Crans-Montana fire chief David Vocat, Valais police chief Frédéric Gisler and CHUV director Claire Charmet. Their inclusion gives the annual selection a solemn beginning, before it turns to the sporting and political moments that defined the year.

Swiss footballer Johan Manzambi is among the year’s prominent new stars. The Genevan impressed with German club Freiburg before appearing at the World Cup. The selection says Switzerland might have won the tournament without his injury, leaving room for a hopeful assessment of what might have been.

Fribourg features prominently elsewhere in the list. Audrey Werro became European 800-meter champion and joined the leading names in global athletics. Fribourg-Gottéron won the Swiss ice hockey championship for the first time, a title celebrated across the canton and associated with club president Hubert Waeber. Elias Moussa also became the city’s new mayor, while Swiss National Council President Pierre-André Page is another Fribourg connection.

Political surprises in Vaud include Olivier Riesen’s election as mayor of Nyon, Laurie Willommet’s rise to the leadership of Vevey and Xavier Roth’s unexpected defense of the POP seat in Lausanne. In Delémont, the Socialists won three seats in the cantonal government. The 22nd Forum des 100 will bring the selected figures together at EPFL on October 27 under the theme of whether Switzerland is still safe.