It is hardly news that Swiss peasants have been abandoning farming in recent decades but the phenomenon increased even further in 2013. By the end of last year, there were 2.4% fewer farms than were worked in 2012, particularly smaller farms of between 5 and 20 hectares. On the other hand, the number of farms […]
Fighting Ebola without the WHO
In the face of massive budget cuts at the World Health Organization (WHO), the US has stepped into the breach, providing USD 100 million and sending 3,000 military personnel to help stem the Ebola outbreak – but this may not be enough. According to WHO, the disease has killed nearly 3,000 people so far. The […]
Swiss jihadists – foreign fighters recruited by extremists over the internet
Are Swiss Jihadists a danger? The silence of Switzerland’s moderate Muslims was broken last week following the arrest in Kosovo of two imams who had travelled to Switzerland to recruit for Syria and Iraq. Four days later, the Albanian Islamic Centre of Lausanne denounced what it called “the brain washers” whose actions “daily shock the […]
The serious side of humour
The recent death by suicide of Robin Williams, one of America’s most beloved comedians, has sparked a wave of commentary about whether there is a connection between humour and depression, or between humour and desperation. Others question whether it is proper to laugh at memorial services as many did for Williams (and as many have […]
Managing workplace burnout
The phenomenon of professional exhaustion, or burnout, has given rise to a number of coaching and counselling services in Switzerland seeking to educate employees and managers how to recognize symptoms and to jointly take preventive measures. Job burnout is defined as chronic stress that affects both physical and mental health. In extreme cases, it can […]
Swiss health vote on knife-edge
When Swiss voters go to the polls in a national referendum on 28 September, the critical issue of private versus public health insurance will likely be decided along the Röstigraben line, the famous psychological divide between German and Latin language cantons. At least this is according to recent opinion polls, which indicate that German-speaking voters […]
Property buyers rush to dip into pension
BERN More and more people are rushing to use the second pillar of their pension plan to purchase a primary residence in the face of high prices and limited housing stock. While this may give a boost to the economy, especially the property market, not everyone is happy with the trend. There are three pillars […]
Suicide tourism rises
ZURICH More than 600 non-Swiss residents died of assisted suicide in Switzerland between 2008 and 2012, helped by organizations such as Dignitas. In 2012 alone, the majority came from Germany (77), followed by the UK (29), Italy (22), France (19) and the US (7). A study by the Journal of Medical Ethics, which looked at […]
A train trip to remember
LOCARNO Taking the train to Locarno on Lake Maggiore is one of those trips where getting there is more than half the fun. From the Arc Lemanique, one changes in Brig (VS) for Domodossola, boarding the narrow gauge Centovalli rail line to cross the One Hundred Valleys in Italy and back into Switzerland before arriving […]
Swiss law priority over international law?
BERN The question of whether Swiss law should have priority over international law is expected to be decided when the Council of States convenes its next session either this summer or early fall. The issue is whether to go along with suggestions by the Swiss People’s Party (UDC) and others that Swiss law should stand […]
