From July 7th, 2026 new cars sold in Switzerland will come with a camera monitoring the driver. The requirement stems from the European Union’s second General Safety Regulation (GSR2), which Switzerland is adopting in line with EU vehicle standards. The rules make a range of driver-assistance technologies mandatory in new vehicles, further accelerating the transformation […]
Switzerland’s hidden redistribution machine gets bigger
Switzerland’s elaborate fiscal equalisation system rarely attracts much public attention. Yet the latest figures from the federal finance administration suggest the country’s regional divides are widening faster than Bern had expected. On June 9th the federal government announced that equalisation payments to the cantons would rise sharply in 2027, climbing by CHF 527m ($640m) to […]
Swiss canton to ban headscarfs in schools
Teachers in the Swiss canton of St Gallen will soon be barred from wearing religious symbols in the classroom, after the cantonal parliament approved a motion introducing a canton-wide ban, reported SRF. The proposal passed by 70 votes to 46 after a lengthy and emotionally charged debate. Lawmakers also voted narrowly, by 59 to 54, […]
Switzerland to allow personal bankruptcy
Overindebted people in Switzerland will soon be able to wipe out their debts by declaring bankruptcy. Parliament has approved a government-backed reform aimed at breaking the cycle of indebtedness, after the lower house resolved the final disagreements on Thursday, reported RTS. Under the new rules, the heavily indebted will be eligible to have their debts […]
The Geneva-based journalist using stories to save the Mediteranean
Veteran foreign correspondent Edward Girardet believes the Mediterranean can be saved not only through science and diplomacy, but through storytelling. As a co-founder of the Help Save The Med initiative, Girardet is helping lead a three-year voyage across the Mediterranean aimed at raising awareness of environmental decline and cultural loss. WIKI, or the World Initiative […]
Swiss to vote on tightening rules on military service
Switzerland’s peculiar compromise between military obligation and individual conscience is once again under scrutiny. On June 14th Swiss voters will decide whether to tighten the rules governing civilian service, the alternative available to those unwilling to perform military duties. The proposed reform, backed by both the federal government and parliament, aims to reduce the number […]
Swiss rivers are overheating
Climate change is warming not only the air, but rivers too. A study published by Nature warns that “riverine heatwaves”—prolonged periods of unusually high river temperatures—are becoming more frequent and intense across Alpine Europe. A temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in the Aare river at the end of May is record-breaking for this time of […]
Swiss cocaine use extending into everyday working life
A new report by Addiction Switzerland argues that cocaine consumption in Switzerland has become more widespread, socially normalised and detached from its former association with nightlife and marginal groups. The report describes a steady rise in cocaine use since the early 2000s, driven by greater availability, falling prices and higher purity levels. Wastewater analyses place […]
Swiss parliament chooses VAT rise to fund extra pension payment
Two years after Swiss voters approved the introduction of a 13th monthly state pension payment, parliament remains divided over how to finance it. The debate has further sharpened concerns about the unsustainability of Switzerland’s pay-as-you-go pension system as the population ages. Left-wing parties accuse conservative and liberal politicians of trying to use the funding debate […]
New EU rules on offshore migrant-return centres will apply to Switzerland
Switzerland will be required to adopt legislation allowing the use of migrant-return centres outside Europe, following a new agreement reached by the European Union. Despite being outside the EU, as a member of the Schengen area, Switzerland must incorporate the new rules into domestic law. The agreement, struck in Brussels on Monday evening, forms part […]
