20 Minutes. The French presidential election has delivered a clear win to Emmanuel Macron. With an estimated 65.8% of the votes going to Macron, compared to 34.2% to Marine Le Pen, he is France’s new president. At the same time the election brought the highest rate of protest votes since 1969. 26% of voters abstained and 9% handed […]
Archives for May 2017
Some numbers behind the divisive Swiss vote on energy
On 21 May 2017, Swiss will vote on the Energy Act, a body of law put together in September 2016. The plan, supported by a Swiss parliamentary majority of 120 to 72, and a an upper house (Council of States) majority of 35 to 6, will be put to a public vote in a couple […]
Unemployment benefit scam rocks Vaud
24 Heures. Last week, the regional newspaper 24 Heures, uncovered a fraudulent scheme allegedly involving two workers from the union Unia, which may have cost Vaud’s social security system as much as CHF 3 million. The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the […]
Swiss employees the best paid in Europe, according to study
Le Matin. According to a recent study, employees in certain roles in Switzerland are paid around 50% more than those second-placed Luxembourg. The premium applies to recent hires, middle managers and qualified professionals, says the study conducted by Willis Tower Watson. The report, entitled Global 50 Remuneration Planning Report 2016/2017, looks at pay across 50 roles and […]
Beer protects gut wall, suggests Swiss research
Le Matin. Researchers at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) think they have discovered the protective power of hops. A molecule in hops appears to strengthen a membrane formed from cells of the intestinal wall. This wall forms a barrier between what is ingested and what is absorbed and can prevent the absorption […]
Thousands of cross-border workers risk big bills for health insurance
Tribune de Genève. Thousands of cross-border workers working in the canton of Geneva, who have not yet formally sorted out their health insurance situation, risk getting a big bill. This week the canton made a final call to those living in France and working in Geneva to make a formal choice between the French and […]
FILM: Marie Curie – the private life of a woman who fought hard to fit into a man’s world
5 May 2017. MARIE CURIE et la LUMIÈRE BLEUE ***1/2 (vo French) Most of us know Marie Curie as the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics (in 1903), along with her husband Pierre, for their research in radium. But we know little about her private sphere and the scandal of her later […]
Commission calls for stricter integration requirements for foreigners in Switzerland
Le Matin. A Swiss government commission decided last week that recent legal changes to help temporary permit holders qualify for permanent residency in Switzerland are not strict enough when it comes to integration requirements. Foreigners on temporary permits have been in the firing line in Switzerland for some time. Because returning to their home country often isn’t possible, a […]
Insects now on Swiss menus
Last year, Switzerland’s federal government announced plans to authorise the commercialisation of insects and worms as domestic food products, and the new law came into effect this week on 1 May 2017. According to 24 Heures, supermarket Coop will launch a new range of insect-based products this month. High in protein, insects come with a […]
A 55 year-old man born in Switzerland set to be expelled
20 Minutes. According to 20 Minutes, a Swiss court recently ruled that a 55 year-old Spanish citizen with a long criminal record, must leave Switzerland. The man found himself in front of a judge for the first time at the age of 17 for bodily injury. Following that he was tried for theft, drug offenses, […]
