The Monocle Minute

The post of defence minister is perhaps the most unpopular in the Swiss government. Switzerland hasn’t been at war for almost 500 years and cleaves to an entrenched historical position as a bastion of neutrality. But that is being tested amid the festering war in Ukraine and messaging from the White House that Europe needs to up its game. Today the United Federal Assembly of Switzerland will gather to elect a new minister for defence. He – both candidates are male – will take up the mantle at a pivotal moment for Switzerland’s dearly held neutrality.

In the running are two political lookalikes from eastern Switzerland: Markus Ritter, an MP from St Gallen; and Martin Pfister, a member of the government in Zug, Switzerland’s most affluent canton. In normal times, selecting a new member of the Swiss government can be entertaining – full of intrigue and leaks about secretly hatched plans. It makes up for the country’s otherwise staid and predictable political system. Not so this time, however, as both candidates have been pointedly vague about what they’ll do should they become defence minister. Strategic vagueness might have once been politically astute but today it is hurting the country because the world has changed and these are not normal times.

Neutrality as a unique selling point and a platform for all manner of good diplomatic services has served Switzerland well for many years. But it must now reconsider its place in the world and move with the times. During the Second World War, the country was shielded by the Alps and a well-resourced military. But that is no longer a guarantee of survival in today’s climate of hybrid warfare. In order to be a useful and constructive player in a world increasingly dominated by autocrats, Switzerland must bolster its democratic and diplomatic strengths – and make its military a force that’s complementary to a rapidly changing European security order.

Bruno Kaufman is the global democracy correspondent for the Swiss Broadcasting Company. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Relations across North America might be frosty but one Canadian company has found a way to break the ice (writes Julia Lasica). Québec-based shipbuilder Davie has been awarded a CA$3.25bn (€2.06bn) contract by the Canadian government to build a new icebreaker. Such vessels are key to accessing global shipping routes in the High North, where traffic has increased by over a third in the past decade.

These ships are high on Donald Trump’s agenda: the US president wants a new fleet of 40 icebreakers – all made in America, naturally. But, over the border, Davie is setting itself up as the world’s go-to for Arctic-ready vessels: it acquired Helsinki Shipyard in 2023 and has ambitions to buy an American shipyard too. “Despite the uncertainties in relations between Canada and the US, the Arctic is still a vital area of shared interest,” Davie’s CCO Paul Barrett tells The Monocle Minute. “We’re really playing catch-up to the Russians and Chinese here. We hope that this new deal will demonstrate that you can have decisive industrial transatlantic collaborations to secure the West’s strategic interests.”

After nine days and countless runway shows, presentations and late-night gatherings, Paris Fashion Week came to an end on Tuesday evening (writes Natalie Theodosi). The closing acts included shows by Chanel and Miu Miu, as well as more intimate affairs by independent outfits, such as Kiko Kostadinov.

They all drove the same point home: modern dress codes are shifting. Slouchy silhouettes, sporty fabrics and trainers are being replaced by blazers (the bigger the shoulder the better), leather dress shoes and luxurious natural materials, from cashmere to alpaca. At Chanel, coat dresses, capes and an array of bows telegraphed this renewed appetite for refinement. At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada played around with style tropes from the 1930s and 1940s – think fur stoles, pencil skirts and matching skirt suits. “These aren’t clichés; they’re elements of femininity that we need to hold onto,” said Prada backstage.

This return to old-school glamour has been the topic of conversation throughout the show season, and translated into pocket watches, leather gloves and decadent corduroy or velvet suits for men. Some see all this as a return to conservative values. But most designers’ motivations seem to be more about dressing their customers up for the occasion. Faced with tough times and highly competitive markets, you probably need something more striking than a tracksuit to stand out.

What to do in the Côte d’Azur when the weather turns (asks Carlota Rebelo)? If you’re in Cannes this week, chances are that you’re making your way to the Palais des Festivals for Mipim, the world’s leading real estate gathering. While the grey skies might have dampened any rosé-fuelled terrace meetings, the energy inside is anything but subdued. Global property consultancy Knight Frank’s Anthony Duggan tells The Monocle Minute that Europe remains a safe haven for investors. It’s a sentiment echoed by Riga’s mayor, Vilnis Ķirsis, who is in town rallying support for transformative urban projects, including infrastructure for the ambitious Rail Baltica, which will link the three Baltic nations.

Beyond Europe, Egypt is gearing up for a demographic boom: its population is set to grow rapidly over the next few decades. “The New Administrative Capital [a planned urban community near Cairo] is central to Egypt’s urban future,” says Khaled Abbas, the chairman of the Administrative Capital for Urban Development. But Mipim isn’t just about mega-projects; even the humble car wash is getting a rethink. Henley Investment Management is tapping into an overlooked sector with AquaSonic, a sleek concept that fuses Formula One aerodynamics, smart mobility and sustainability. “There are about 60,000 car washes in the US,” says Henley CEO Ian Rickwood. “That’s twice as many as [outposts of] McDonald’s and Starbucks combined. The opportunity is huge.” Mipim 2025 is proving once again that the business of city-making is as dynamic as ever – rain or shine.

Culdesac is “the first car-free neighbourhood built from scratch in the US”, according to Ryan Johnson, the development’s CEO and first resident. Located in the Tempe suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, Culdesac opened in 2023 and is quickly becoming not only a proper community but also a prominent case study for a style of living that is desirable among buyers but is still rare in the US market.

What’s happening in Tempe would be unremarkable in much of the world, but in the US, where car-park facilities take up about a third of the space in Sun Belt cities, this looks like a quiet revolution. Creating walkability in US developments often requires extensive retrofitting or building from the ground up – even if the bones of an older, more pedestrian-friendly urbanism are still there, buried beneath years of car-centric planning. Culdesac is now bringing a version of its Arizona model to other states across the US, while similar pedestrian-focused communities are popping up in Texas and California.

To read the full report, see the Property Survey in Monocle’s March issue, which is on newsstands now.

Highlights from the second edition of Parisian design salon Matter and Shape, and we learn the history of brutalism in Japan. Plus: Monocle Radio visits the Young V&A in London to meet designer Charlie Boyden.