{
  "id": 5895781,
  "title": "Von Dänemark lernen heisst siegen lernen: Wieso wir uns an erfolgreichen Vorbildern orientieren sollten",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/von-danemark-lernen-heisst-siegen-lernen-wieso-wir-uns-an",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-06T03:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/von-daenemark-lernen-heisst-siegen-lernen-wieso-wir-uns-an-erfolgreichen-vorbildern-orientieren-sollten-ld.10022226"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Switzerland often looks to countries that are doing better in order to secure its own success, but such downward comparisons do not help us. Hiking is the Miller's pleasure - and sometimes his frustration. It's when one overtakes an elderly senior with heavy luggage on the ascent, smoothly and with a cheerful greeting, that one wonders how they manage it. Even pausing to glance at a younger couple ahead, one might think: \"Still fit.\" But then ask: are they fast or slow? On the summit, they quickly enter the route into the mapping app, with their time slightly below the average. This mountain episode reveals much about the psychology of comparison. Depending on the situation, we compare for three reasons: to find a model, to seek confirmation, or to seek orientation. Only when we consciously acknowledge these motives can we strategically discard or adopt them. Comparison is as relevant to hiking in the mountains as it is to Switzerland as a country. Currently, discussions in Switzerland are dominated by the motivation of confirmation, especially when self-image is under pressure. Those who deliberately seek those who are doing worse reliably lift their own spirits. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, this motivation has a favorite protagonist - the big neighbor to the north. How often we've chided the unreliability of the German rail system! Indeed, data shows the SBB was almost 93% punctual on long-distance routes in 2025, while the Deutsche Bahn was around 60% - with Switzerland being stricter, counting delays as early as three minutes, whereas Germany only from six. Such downward comparisons may bring fleeting feelings of schadenfreude, but they don't help us. Instead, we need to use comparison to orient ourselves. To do this, we should take a holistic view. For instance, the E-Government Index of the United Nations ranks Switzerland 26th out of 193 countries - ahead of France at 34, but behind the railroad-poor Germany at 12. Knowing one's position allows for learning from the comparison. Self-awareness is the best way to improve, as it identifies role models. However, this process is not easy as it challenges our self-image, and in the case of countries, sometimes misplaced patriotism prevents learning from others. Switzerland can certainly learn from abroad, such as from Denmark. The Scandinavian country is not only a role model for pension sustainability, as its retirement age is linked to life expectancy. Rather, Denmark is a pioneer in digitizing healthcare. It has led the Uno index for e-government for over twenty years, thanks to establishing standards for data exchange between hospitals, practices, and pharmacies before implementing the portal. So the lesson from Denmark is: first establish interoperability, then applications. The key question is not: What is the Danish model? The correct question is: What was the success factor? That was the implementation sequence - first agreeing on standards, then applications. This applies equally to countries as to ourselves. On the mountain, it's unhelpful to feel pleased by the slower couple behind you, just as it's pointless to chase the heavy senior hiker who later turns out to be a former professional triathlete. More interesting is asking why they're faster despite their load. Perhaps something can be learned from this, not to copy their path but to find our own best path to the summit. Jürg Müller, director of the liberal think tank Avenir Suisse, explains how the small state is economically strong, socially little polarized, and a reliable alliance partner. Switzerland might struggle to assert itself in the new world order, warns Lausanne professor Arturo Bris. The signs of a resurgence in the German economy are growing, but the recovery is fragile. The federal government should use the given time window for reforms.",
  "summary": "Die Schweiz schaut gerne auf Länder, denen es schlechter geht, um sich ihres Erfolgs zu versichern. Doch solche Abwärtsvergleiche bringen uns nicht weiter.",
  "key_points": [
    "Switzerland learns from successful countries to secure its own success.",
    "Denmark is a role model for pension sustainability and digitizing healthcare.",
    "Strategic comparison should focus on success factors, not models."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Switzerland's tendency to compare itself to others for confirmation rather than orientation hinders its progress, whereas learning from successful models like Denmark's approach to digitizing healthcare and pension sustainability could drive improvement.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
        "title": "Anleihen sind die Spielwiese von institutionellen Investoren. Wieso die meisten Privatanleger auf sie verzichten sollten",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/anleihen-sind-die-spielwiese-von-institutionellen-investoren-wieso",
        "published": "2026-09-06T03:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}