Swiss public-transport fares will rise by an average of 3.6% in December 2026, less than the 3.9% increase originally planned. The reduction follows negotiations between the industry and Switzerland’s price regulator. The price of a second-class GA travelcard, which provides unlimited travel on much of the Swiss public-transport network, will rise by CHF 100 to […]
Swiss are surprisingly sceptical about their own founding story
A new survey suggests that the Swiss distinguish sharply between patriotic legend and the making of the modern state. In 1291 the three founding cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden sealed the Federal Charter, laying the foundations of the confederation. Yet when Swiss people are asked when their country actually became a nation-state, most prefer […]
How a tiny battery forced an emergency landing
On July 27th 2026 a routine Swiss flight from Zurich to New York was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangor, Maine, after smoke appeared in the business-class cabin. The source was eventually traced to a headphone-charging case that had become wedged in a seat and crushed. Its damaged lithium battery overheated and began […]
Switzerland’s bloodiest divide no longer seen as its greatest historical threat
Asked recently which conflict had historically posed the greatest threat to national cohesion, 28% of Swiss respondents chose the struggle between the working class and the better-off, while 25% pointed to the divide between town and country. Older—and arguably more consequential—fault-lines ranked lower: 18% selected the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, and 13% cited the […]
Backers of the safe food initiative accuse government of deception and demand a retraction
The backers of Switzerland’s Safe Food initiative have lodged an appeal against the Federal Council and the Federal Chancellery, accusing them of misrepresenting the proposal in the official booklet for the vote on September 27th, RTS reported. The appeal was filed on Thursday with the government of the canton of Bern by Franziska Herren, an […]
Fireworks ban exemptions prompt accusations of double standards
Ahead of Switzerland’s national day on August 1st, fireworks have generally been banned due to the risk of forest fires, although official displays are still permitted in some places, reports SRF. With Switzerland parched by drought, almost every canton has imposed restrictions on open fires and fireworks. Yet some authorities are allowing large official displays […]
Mental illness remains the leading cause of disability-welfare claims in Switzerland
The number of people receiving vocational-rehabilitation support through Switzerland’s disability-insurance system rose again in 2025. Mental illness remained the leading cause of disability, especially among young people. Some 61,000 people received vocational-rehabilitation support, the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) said on Monday. That was 3,300 more than in 2024 and more than three times as […]
How the Big Mac Index overstates the Swiss franc’s strength
For 40 years, The Economist has indulged in what it refers to as “burgernomics”: a worldwide comparison of the price of a Big Mac. The McDonald’s Big Mac is remarkably consistent wherever you eat it, so you might expect its price to be consistent too. But it is not—and, according to the publisher, that reveals […]
Swiss national day: 4 things you ought to know
Every year on 1 August, Swiss celebrate the founding of their nation with barbecues, friends, town celebrations and a lot of fireworks. But what is it all about? 1. The Federal Charter of 1291 Switzerland’s national celebration, held every year on 1 August, celebrates the signing of the Federal Charter of 1291 in early August […]
Swiss rail – squeezing more people onto ever busier trains
Switzerland’s railways are carrying more people than ever. In the second quarter of 2026 passengers travelled 6.3bn kilometres by train, an increase of 5.2% from a year earlier, reported Litra. That surpassed the previous record, set in the final quarter of 2025, by nearly 200m passenger-kilometres, the collective distance travelled by passengers. This is good […]
