Yesterday, Switzerland’s federal assembly elected Ignazio Cassis as the federal council replacement to Didier Burkhalter, who resigned in June this year. Cassis was chosen by a majority of the federal assembly over Pierre Maudet (Geneva) and Isabelle Moret (Vaud) in a tightly contested race, receiving 125 of 244 valid votes in the second round. Cassis, a […]
Archives for 2017
Swiss voters to decide on controversial pension reform
On 24 September 2017, the Swiss electorate will vote on whether to accept a package of pension reforms. Switzerland has a pension system with three parts. The first is a universal monthly payment funded by the social security system. Compulsory deductions from the salaries of those working fund payments to current retirees. This is known […]
Swiss launches multi-flight subscriptions from Geneva
Swiss has launched multi-flight tickets from Geneva airport. The new test product was launched on 20 September 2017. The offer is a use it of lose it type deal. Any unused flights cannot be refunded, transferred or credited. Owned by the Lufthansa, Switzerland’s flag carrier is offering two subscription options. The first, the Discover Europe Pass, […]
Swiss cities score well in stress ranking
If you have moved from London to Zurich, from Paris to Geneva, or from Brussels to Bern, then you now live in a much less stressful place according to a city stress ranking done by Zipjet, a home delivered laundry service. If you have moved to Lausanne or Basel, you’ll have to endure the stress […]
Blocked Geneva toilets full of 500 euro notes
The discovery of 500 euro notes blocking toilets in Geneva has made for easy headlines. A Bloomberg article opened with the line “Talk about money down the drain.” The notes were first discovered several months ago in a bathroom close to a bank vault at a Geneva branch of the bank UBS, according to the newspaper Tribune […]
Swiss canton of St Gallen bans full veil
Tribune de Genève. Yesterday, the cantonal parliament of St. Gallen adopted a law banning the covering of faces in public spaces. The law, aimed at those who threaten public security and religious and social peace, follows a debate sparked by a ban on wearing veils at a school in the town of St. Margrethen in […]
A bridge across Lake Geneva becomes a little less imaginary
The nearly 30-year debate for and against a way to drive across Lake Geneva took a tentative step forward recently. The Geneva bypass, which would alleviate bumper-to-bumper traffic creeping through the city’s highway system, will probably be a bridge, not a tunnel, according to a preliminary cantonal report. Or maybe it will be a bridge […]
Sion airshow update – a report from the ground
The airshow’s first day was a non-stop dazzling display of aircraft in the sky and on the tarmac, plus amazing flight simulators visitors could try out. Just a few quick highlights: The Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team flying their colors. Visitors get to sit for a few seconds in the cockpit of one of the […]
Switzerland’s welfare spending jumps 53 percent
A recent report shows welfare spending increased 53% over ten years. From 2005 to 2015 it rose from CHF 1.7 billion to CHF 2.6 billion. These figures only include cash payments. The sum is even more significant when other elements are included. Once added the bill rises to around CHF 8 billion. In 2005, the same […]
Geneva and Lausanne remain Switzerland’s toughest home markets
Home vacancy rates in Switzerland’s main cities have all risen over the last few years, bringing some hope to those looking for a place to live. The latest 2017 data confirm this trend. Over the last five years vacancy rates have risen by between 18% and 49% in the main cities of Zurich (+32%), Bern […]
