20 Minutes. Late last week, Didier Burkhalter’s Liberal Party (PLR/FDP) announced its calendar for choosing someone to replace him after he announced his resignation on 14 June 2017. Switzerland will be kept guessing about the new leader through the summer, finding out only on 20 September 2017, one month and 10 days before Mr. Burkhalter finishes on […]
Archives for 2017
No roaming charges in Europe, except in Switzerland
From 15 June 2017, there are no EU roaming charges for most of those with a mobile phone on an EU contract. The new rules compelling operators to axe the charges, announced in September last year, are now in force. Countries outside the EU, but within the European Economic Area (EEA), including Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland’s […]
Switzerland braces itself for a storm
Tribune de Genève. Swiss Meteo is predicting heavy storms this evening. A mass of heavy unstable air is poised to unleash heavy rain, winds, and possibly hail. Storms are predicted to cover much of the Swiss plateau from Geneva through to Lake Constance. The warning is level 3, which is described as considerable danger. and […]
New initiative to keep foreign workers out of Switzerland
Le Matin. On 15 June 2017, one day after kicking off the job of collecting the signatures required to call a referendum, the text for a new plan to limit access to Switzerland’s job market was presented to the Swiss government. Before a Swiss popular vote or referendum can be launched 100,000 valid signatures must be collected […]
A small change to Zurich’s parking rules pushed ticket numbers up 21% in 2016
20 Minuten. In 2016, Zurich city raked in more than CHF 60 million in traffic fines, according to the city’s latest financial statements, published on 15 June 2017. The number of tickets issued rose by 20.7% to 503,888, and the reason why is quite clear. At the beginning of 2016, the policy of allowing a standard […]
Geneva hospital breaks european record for most robot operations
This week, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) announced it had carried out the largest number of robotic surgical procedures in Europe, passing the milestone of 2,500. The exact total is 2,514, which include visceral (1,185), urological (1,053) and gynaecological (276) operations. The team has observed numerous benefits from robotic surgery, such as smaller incisions and scars, […]
Classical music and ballet performers come together on stage in Zurich in support of charity
Gala of Hope, an organisation set up to help raise funds to help those suffering from the conflict in eastern Ukraine, is holding a classical music and ballet charity performance in Zurich on 18 June 2017. The performance will include: Vesselina Kasarova – Mezzo soprano, Malin Hartelius – Soprano, Bartek Niziol – first concertmaster at the Opera House […]
FILM: Return to Montauk – an intriguing, moody, introspective satisfying film
16 June 2017. RETURN TO MONTAUK ***1/2 The director is the renowned German, Volker Schlöndorff (“The Tin Drum”, “Diplomacy”), the main protagonist is the excellent Nordic actor, Stellan Skarsgard, the actresses are German – Nina Hoss and Suzanne Wolff, with the impressive Niels Arestrup as an old acquaintance. The place is New York and the mood […]
Swiss Federal Councillor and foreign minister Didier Burkhalter resigns
Today, Swiss Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter announced his resignation. One of seven in Switzerland’s executive, he became known around the world, during his stint as the nation’s president, when a photo of him of him standing alone on a public train platform waiting for his train was Tweeted. The photo was taken by Le Temps journalist […]
Swiss politicians push for tax on short-haul flights out of Switzerland
20 Minutes. Two Swiss politicians from Zurich, Thomas Hardegger and Priska Seiler Graf, are calling for short-haul flights to be taxed, a move they think would push people away from flying and towards train travel. They want an end to the uncontrolled increase in air travel and the emissions it generates. In 2010, the average distance flown by […]
