The local dimension

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For the canton of Zug, the pipeline companies were employers and taxpayers like others. Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG together employed a few hundred people in the canton at their peak. The companies had their offices in the town of Zug. Their employees, who came from Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and other countries, lived in the canton and in the neighbouring region, sent their children to local and international schools and took part in local life. The dismissal of all 106 employees of Nord Stream 2 AG in March 2022 affected these people directly, as did the further reductions in the years that followed.¹ The companies also supported local causes by sponsoring cultural and sporting events, as many international companies in the canton do. After 2022, some of the organisations that had received support from them reviewed their relationships. The local reaction was generally calm, since Zug residents are accustomed to the presence of international companies whose business lies elsewhere. They tend to judge them by their conduct in the canton more than by their activities abroad. The Nord Stream episode tested that attitude and left a more critical awareness of the political dimensions of the canton's international business.

Notes

SRF, 1 March 2022, srf.ch: 106 employees dismissed; Wikipedia, "Nord Stream 2", en.wikipedia.org: Nord Stream 2 AG laid off all 106 employees at its Zug headquarters on 1 March 2022; de.wikipedia.org, "Nord Stream 2 AG": about 40 employees at the end of 2022 and about 20 in February 2024. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of October 2026.

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The local dimension

Notes

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