Italy refuses to foot Swiss medical bill for fire victims

The development emerged following a meeting between Italy's ambassador to Bern, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, and Mathias Reynard, president of the canton of Valais, who indicated he had no regulatory scope to absorb the costs. Italy's response Prime minister Giorgia Meloni slammed the demand to reimburse the exorbitant medical expenses, writing on social media: Should this ignoble request be formalised, I announce as of now that Italy will reject it back to the sender and will give it no further consideration. I trust in the sense of responsibility of the Swiss authorities and I hope that the news will prove to be completely unfounded. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani was equally dismissive. It seems to me that it is obvious that we do not pay, he told reporters, adding that responsibility lay solely with those who managed the venue and those who failed to carry out the necessary safety inspections. There is no Italian responsibility, Tajani stated. Rome's ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, set out Italy's case on grounds of reciprocity. He noted that Italy had provided weeks of care for two Swiss citizens at Milan's Niguarda Hospital, and that the Valle d'Aosta civil protection service had dispatched a helicopter to assist in rescue efforts during the initial hours of the tragedy. He added that the bills sent by the hospital in Sion for more than 100,000 francs for a single day of hospitalisation on 1 January were absolutely exorbitant and should be covered either by the Swiss mutual insurance body or by the canton of Valais - but under no circumstances by the families or the Italian state. Reimbursement Under Swiss procedure, the reimbursement request will be handled through the joint institution LaMal, which will determine which insurance body bears which costs, with the involvement of Italian insurance counterparts. Switzerland will therefore not directly reimburse the bills, while any residual amount could only be covered at cantonal level. Lawyers representing civil parties for the injured expressed dismay at the development, with one attorney, Domenico Radice, describing the move as not only morally reprehensible but strategically short-sighted, noting that placing costs on Italy would strengthen the Italian government's standing as a civil party in the Swiss criminal proceedings and its ability to seek compensation for expenses incurred. New Year fire The fire at Le Constellation on 31 December 2025 killed 41 people - including six Italians - and injured dozens, among them Italian tourists. One victim, 15-year-old Elsa from Biella, was discharged from the intensive care burns unit at Turin's CTO hospital this week - after 58 days - and transferred to the nearby Regina Margherita children's hospital. Investigations in Switzerland are ongoing, with both the bar's management and local authorities facing scrutiny over safety failings. Photo credit: Jeewa A / Shutterstock.com