This week, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced a record quarterly profit for the first quarter of 2024. The result was largely predicted after the SNB made a surprise interest rate cut, which led to a weaker Swiss Franc. Switzerland’s central bank is unusual. It is privately owned (mainly by a German citizen) but distributes […]
Death of Swiss soldier probably suicide
This week, a young man doing his Swiss military service was killed when a rifle went off. After the incident, which occured at the Bremgarten weapons range in Aargau on Tuesday, the military justice department opened an investigation. On Friday, the department announced the death was probably suicide, reported SRF. On Tuesday, a shot was […]
Swiss commission wants asylum seekers deported to third country
An idea put forward by the FDP/PLR to have certain rejected asylum seekers sent to a country other than the one they came from found support in a parliamentary commission this week, reported SRF. The comission voted 14 to 11 in favour of the idea. Normally, asylum seekers who have their applications rejected are returned […]
Lack of psychotherapists leaving Swiss children in crisis
A rising number of children and young people in Switzerland are facing psychological problems. Research done by SRF shows there are too few professionals to meet rising demand for treatment. Social media is a key driver of rising distress among young people. Much of it floods them with images and stories that make them feel […]
French on the rise in Switzerland’s bilingual cities
Switzerland has three main languages, and liguistic divides run through some cities such as Biel/Biennes and Freiburg/Fribourg. In Swiss cities in general, French is on the rise. In bilingual cities where some residents speak French at home and others German, French is gaining ground fast, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). There […]
FILM: HIGH AND LOW – JOHN GALLIANO ***1/2 – a must-see
26 April 2024. By Neptune HIGH AND LOW – JOHN GALLIANO ***1/2 Remember Galliano, the exciting, eccentric English fashion designer who revolutionised the house of Dior with his flamboyant, baroque shows? This in-your-face, honest documentary about Galliano shows it all with a fluid ease – his rise, his innate talent, his 15 years of glory […]
10-step guide to hiring an employee in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.business. For startups and small companies, hiring and onboarding new employees can be a real hassle. In Switzerland especially, there is a significant amount of admin to deal with. The following is a guide to all the tasks involved in this process. A summarised list of the administrative tasks associated with […]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and naturalisation. Before 2019, formal testing of language ability was not typical. Since then it has been formalised and standardised across cantons […]