Guy Mettan (born 19 November 1956 in Evionnaz) is a Swiss journalist and politician. He was a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland before becoming a member of the Swiss People's Party. [1]
As a journalist Mettan started with Tribune de Genève as an intern [2] and was its director and editor-in-chief from 1992 to 1998. [3] 1997 he co-founded the Geneva Press Club and was executive director until 2019.
In 2001 he was appointed Vice-President of the Swiss-West African Chamber of Commerce. [3] Mettan has been president of the Swiss-Russian Chamber of Commerce since its inception in 2005. [4] From 2006 to 2014 he was President of the Geneva Section of the Red Cross Switzerland. [5] He also served as President of the Grand Council of Geneva [3] and sat for the center there until 2019. [6]
Mettan was awarded the Russian medal of the Order of Friendship in February 2017 [4] by President Vladimir Putin. [6] While parliamentary regulations prohibit elected officials from receiving decorations from foreign governments, the Grand Council of Geneva authorised him to receive the medal on a 36-35 vote. [7]
Mettan's journalistic credibility has been questioned on several occasions. In 2017, Reporters Without Borders criticised Mettan for his pro-Russian militancy and for serving as a mouthpiece for Russian propaganda. [6] Florian Irminger, Secretary General of the Swiss Green Party, also called Mettan an apologist for Putin's government. [6] Following Mettan's support for the Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory in a Die Weltwoche essay in 2022, Swiss magazine Republik referred to the article as a "breathtaking compendium" of Russian propaganda. [8]
Mettan is married. In 1994, the family adopted a 3-year-old Russian girl, Oxana, from an orphanage in Suzdal. Later, Russian citizenship was granted to Mettan as a result of the adoption due to a decree by the Yeltsin administration. [2]
Guy Mettan (born 19 November 1956 in Evionnaz) is a Swiss journalist and politician. He was a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland before becoming a member of the Swiss People's Party. [1]
As a journalist Mettan started with Tribune de Genève as an intern [2] and was its director and editor-in-chief from 1992 to 1998. [3] 1997 he co-founded the Geneva Press Club and was executive director until 2019.
In 2001 he was appointed Vice-President of the Swiss-West African Chamber of Commerce. [3] Mettan has been president of the Swiss-Russian Chamber of Commerce since its inception in 2005. [4] From 2006 to 2014 he was President of the Geneva Section of the Red Cross Switzerland. [5] He also served as President of the Grand Council of Geneva [3] and sat for the center there until 2019. [6]
Mettan was awarded the Russian medal of the Order of Friendship in February 2017 [4] by President Vladimir Putin. [6] While parliamentary regulations prohibit elected officials from receiving decorations from foreign governments, the Grand Council of Geneva authorised him to receive the medal on a 36-35 vote. [7]
Mettan's journalistic credibility has been questioned on several occasions. In 2017, Reporters Without Borders criticised Mettan for his pro-Russian militancy and for serving as a mouthpiece for Russian propaganda. [6] Florian Irminger, Secretary General of the Swiss Green Party, also called Mettan an apologist for Putin's government. [6] Following Mettan's support for the Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory in a Die Weltwoche essay in 2022, Swiss magazine Republik referred to the article as a "breathtaking compendium" of Russian propaganda. [8]
Mettan is married. In 1994, the family adopted a 3-year-old Russian girl, Oxana, from an orphanage in Suzdal. Later, Russian citizenship was granted to Mettan as a result of the adoption due to a decree by the Yeltsin administration. [2]