Earlier this week, I had lunch with an expat friend from Vaud at one of Geneva’s leading hotels overlooking the Rhone River. He has been living in Switzerland for nearly 30 years, including a nearly decade-long stint in the German-speaking north. So he is very much aware of the divides that exist within Switzerland itself, […]
Basel: Public transport with vision
Among European cities such as Helsinki, Copenhagen and Freiburg, Switzerland’s north-eastern city of Basel ranks as having one of the continent’s most visionary approaches to public transport. It is one that the Lake Geneva region would do well to heed if it is to deal with rising car traffic in a more imaginative and environmentally […]
A more communal stance for humanity
While much of the Swiss summer has proved miserable, for those of us who managed to get abroad, there were constant reminders of just how globally relevant the Lake Geneva region is. Somehow Switzerland is mentioned one way or another in any media coverage of the Middle East, banking, football, climate change or Ebola. It […]
Hiking hazards in Switzerland: Not just bad weather
As Swiss meteorological records point out, July proved to be the wettest month in 50 years. Precipitation was four times higher than normal putting a severe dampener on Swiss tourism. The Lake Geneva region, Bernese Alps, Valais and Jura have all endured exceptionally high rainfall. Many resorts have reported cancellations, particularly among weekend vacationers seeking […]
More right-wing curbs on foreigners
Despite a formal refusal of the European Union to make any special concessions on last February’s migration vote, Switzerland’s right-wing UDC party seems determined to push for even more curbs on foreigners. Catherine Ashton, the EU’s chief diplomat, has transmitted a letter to Bern agreed by the European Union’s 28 member countries that it cannot […]
Bringing it all home: Our friends on MH 17
The sad news of the World Health Organization’s Glenn Thomas being one of the 298 victims killed in the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 has once again brought it home how embedded the international community in Switzerland is in world affairs. Glenn, a former BBC producer who represented WHO as a press spokesman, and hence […]
Asian Killer Hornets in Switzerland
BERN Swiss farmers are increasingly concerned by the impact of invasive species on agriculture. Europe currently has some 12,000 invasive species, both flora and fauna. While only 15% are considered dangerous or otherwise harmful, this is enough to threaten long-term food production. One of these is ambrosia, a weed introduced from North America during the […]
World Cup won – FIFA $4 Bn
Switzerland’s embarrassment: FIFA, Qatar and Blatter. Now that the world can breathe again with Germany’s win at the 2014 World Cup, the Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will need to start considering what soccer is supposed to be about. And what kind of message it should be sending to young people, who hold […]
Keep your data private in Switzerland
Companies are increasingly regarding Switzerland as key to security and the protection of private data. Over 140 companies, many of them start-ups, have now established themselves in the EPFL’s Innovation Park in Lausanne. One of the principal reasons for locating to the Lake Geneva region, some maintain, is that Switzerland is one of the few […]
Drones for relief
LAUSANNE Medair, a Swiss aid agency, is using innovative technology to help refugees. Ever since international relief agencies began becoming more involved with helping refugees and other crisis victims worldwide at the end of the 1970s, much of their response has been focused primarily on traditional food, shelter and medical aid. More recently, however, some […]
