Montreux has appointed M. Olivier Rapin (45) as its new Secrétaire municipal (town clerk). A qualified lawyer with a post-graduate diploma in European Community Law, he takes over at the start of February from Mme Corinne Martin who was recently appointed Head of local housing services. Olivier Rapin is no stranger to local and regional […]
Archives for 2014
Galaurus, Villette Grand Cru, 2011
Galaurus, Villette Grand Cru, 2011 Ahh…. something a bit different for a change. If you are getting a bit bored with the classics – then try this. St Laurent (a red variety that has been around for over 400 years and grows well in coolish climates. Galotta (Gamay & Ancellota) and Pinot Noir are the […]
Health insurance, restaurant taxes and crossing Lake Geneva
The concept of a referendum appears to be viewed increasingly by Europeans as a quick way to impose change on politicians (first Scotland, then Catalonia). The question, however, is whether the referendum really constitutes an effective form of democracy. Is decision-making not supposed to be the role of elected parliamentarians? And if a referendum affecting […]
Swiss population rise: Mainly foreigners
BERN The population of Switzerland rose by 1.3% in 2013, the overwhelming majority of them immigrants, the Federal Office of Statistics announced this week. With 100,600 new residents, the current population now stands at 8.1 million. An estimated 89,500 of the new influx were immigrants, primarily Germans, Portuguese, Italians, French, Spanish and other European Union […]
Social assistance higher in Suisse romande
BERN The number of people on welfare in Swiss cities is generally higher in Suisse romande than in German-speaking cities, according to a study by Bern University and the Cities Initiative for Social Policy. Lausanne and Bienne/Biel have the greatest percentage of people on welfare among 13 cities surveyed, with increases in five other cities, […]
Your future: “80 is the new 60”
UBS this week released a survey it carried out on age and pensions. Normally pretty dry stuff – summaries of massive data sets – these findings offer interesting insights into Swiss attitudes and give ample food for thought. We know, for example, that the Swiss are living longer; however the survey also tells us that […]
Lausanne to host symposium on high-mountain communities in the Himalayas
Climate change is already deeply changing the way of life of mountain communities, be they in the Alps or the Himalayas. Do we understand what is happening and what can we do? Over 170 million people eke out a modest living at over 3,000 metres in vast and isolated tracts of the Himalayas. A further […]
Property taxes: Is it worth buying in Switzerland?
Ever contemplated buying a property in Switzerland? Reading further might put you off. Providing useful information on the taxation of property in Switzerland is daunting. Given that the country effectively has 26 different systems – one for each canton – it is virtually impossible to say anything on the subject that can be used in […]
Switzerland’s prison population has increased
Switzerland’s prison population has increased by nine percent over the past ten years to 6,599. This is bang on the average rise of prison populations in Europe. The country with the biggest rise was Malta with a door-slamming 49% increase. Estonia, with 3,286 prisoners, enjoyed the largest decrease (39%) in its prison population. The rise […]
Swiss recycling: not at the top – European rankings
Recently released EU figures show that Switzerland is the fourth best re-cycler in Europe after Germany (64%), Austria (59%) and Belgium (57%). Swiss municipalities recycle 50% of all waste collected. Europe’s three other large economies, the UK, France and Italy recycle 46%, 39% and 38% respectively. Malta, at the bottom of the table, recycles a […]
