Europe · Western Europe · Federal semi-direct democracy
Events where Switzerland was directly involved or significantly affected.
President Nixon suspended the dollars convertibility to gold, effectively ending the Bretton Woods system and transitioning to floating exchange rates globally.
Source: Federal Reserve
Germany and 10 other EU nations adopted the euro, creating the worlds second-largest reserve currency and transforming European monetary policy.
Source: ECB
The Swiss National Bank abruptly removed the CHF 1.20 per euro floor, causing the franc to surge 30% in minutes — the largest single-day move in a major currency in modern history.
Source: SNB
Western nations removed major Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system, representing unprecedented financial sanctions and accelerating discussions about alternative payment systems.
Source: ECB
The Fed raised rates from near-zero to combat inflation reaching 9.1%, the most aggressive tightening cycle in decades, eventually reaching 5.25-5.50%.
Source: Federal Reserve
SVB, the 16th largest US bank, collapsed in the second-largest bank failure in US history, followed quickly by Signature Bank, sparking concerns about regional banking stability.
Source: FDIC