Neptune’s film picks 20 December 2019. By Neptune. MARRIAGE STORY **** This film will leave you dazed with its honesty, its raw emotions, its decency. It’s really about the trauma of divorce rather than about marriage. And yet it is also about evolving, modern love that maybe expects too much from its partners. For these […]
Archives for 2019
Switzerland’s high prices – a European comparison
Recently published data shows how prices compare across Europe. The data, collected by Eurostat, compares prices across a number of categories of spending in 2018. Average prices across the EU-28 are used as a base. Overall, residents of Switzerland spent 59% more on the same items than an average resident of the EU-28. Switzerland was […]
Swiss visit doctor less often than most of Europe
In 2017, an average Swiss resident visited a medical professional 4.32 times, according to data recently published by Eurostat. Only residents of Denmark (4.30), Sweden (2.77) and Cyprus (2.09) went to see a doctor less often. The average number of visits across those European countries with 2017 data was 6.84. Countries with the highest frequency […]
Swiss winter holiday traffic forecast
Ahead of the holidays, Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) published its winter holiday traffic forecast. Traffic jams and slowdowns are expected on the following stretches of road: Spiez – Kandersteg Gampel – Goppenstein Brunnen – Flüelen (Axenstrasse) Rarogne – Brigue Bellinzone – Locarno The map below shows these are other stretches where progress is likely […]
Swiss government to downgrade and cut number of staff flights to reduce emissions
Switzerland’s Federal Council recently announced it aims to cut its flight emissions by 30% between now and 2030. Journeys of less than six hours will be taken by train rather than plane. In addition, staff will be required to fly in economy class rather than business class for journeys of less than 9 hours. Choosing […]
Switzerland remains second in global Human Development Index ranking
Switzerland remains second in the United Nations (UN) global Human Development Index (HDI) ranking in 2019. Switzerland ranked just behind Norway. Ireland (3rd), Germany (4th) and Hong Kong (4th) completed the top five. The HDI looks at life expectancy, mean years of schooling and per capita income – Gross National Income (GNI). In 2019, Switzerland was ranked third […]
No Federal Council seat for Switzerland’s Green Party
Switzerland’s recent federal elections delivered a shift towards parties promising to deliver environmental change. The left leaning Green Party increased its seats in the National Council, Switzerland’s federal parliament from 11 (5.5%) to 28 (14%), and the Green Liberal Party’s seat count rose from 7 (3.5%) to 16 (8%). Historically, the political make up of […]
Question of the week: what happens to failed asylum seekers in Switzerland?
A recent report by Switzerland’s federal migration commission looks at this question. Between 2008 and 2017, around 180,000 asylum seekers left Switzerland, mostly because their applications failed. Around 92,000 left in a “controlled” manner, most (80%) voluntarily with no support. The remaining 20% were given money to help them leave and resettle in their home […]
Switzerland to shut down first nuclear reactor
On 20 December 2019, Switzerland will shut down the Mühleberg nuclear reactor in the canton of Bern. The plant went into operation in 1972, making it the nation’s second oldest nuclear power station after Beznau, which started its first reactor in 1969. The Mühleberg power station, which takes its cooling water from the Aare river, […]
French strike threatens launch of new cross-border trains
The launch of the Léman Express, a network of new train links between the Switzerland and neighbouring France, is threatened by a strike by French train workers, according to the newspaper Le Messager. French unions are demanding French staff be paid more, pointing to the difference between their pay and that of their Swiss counterparts, […]