By Carl Wahlers Depression, suicide and loneliness are key factors among men over 40 years old, particularly expatriate and retirement age professionals living in countries such as Switzerland. It is often difficult to develop social ties with local communities or to find purpose leaving afflicted individuals high and dry, reluctant or unable to seek help. Three […]
Votes: a bad weekend for the government
On 24 November 2024, voters rejected three of the four federal government projects put to them. A project to expand sections of motorway with heavy congestion and changes to rules related to subletting and lease termination for landlords wanting to live in their own properties were all rejected. The only project winning public approval was […]
Swiss to vote on healthcare funding rule changes
The rising cost of Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance is a major political issue. The government has hatched a plan aimed at improving incentives in the hope it will reduce the seemingly never ending rise in health insurance premiums. However, a number of people sceptical of the plan’s ability to deliver the saving have organised a […]
Swiss to vote on tenancy laws this weekend
Most people in Switzerland rent. This means the nation has strict tenancy rules, some of which are viewed as too strict by the current government. Both parliament and the Council of States have come up with two changes aimed at limiting the actions of tenants, which are considered abusive. These two votes are the result […]
Swiss to vote on plan to upgrade motorways this weekend
On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expanding Switzerland’s motorway network. The government’s plan aims to alleviate six motorway bottlenecks. The Federal Council points out that traffic on the nation’s highways has more than doubled since 1990 and the estimated CHF […]
Switzerland remains the European leader in rail travel
This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public transport in Switzerland, published its annual report on train travel across Europe. The figures show how far ahead of the rest of Europe Switzerland is on both the average number of journeys and distance travelled by […]
Swiss to vote on making it easier to become Swiss
This week, an initiative aimed at making it easier to become Swiss cleared the 100,000 signature hurdle required to qualify for a referendum, reported RTS. Non citizens are largely excluded from voting. Some exceptions allow some to vote at a municipal level. Excluding such a significant part of the population from the democratic process is […]
Mercury found in all Tuna tested in Switzerland
Over recent weeks, mercury found in the tinned tuna sold across Europe has sparked a debate about the product. This week, RTS revealed the mercury levels of much of the tinned tuna sold in Switzerland. Recent tests across Europe revealed that all of the nearly 150 brands of tuna tested contained mercury, with around 10% […]
Federal Council rejects “nutrition initiative”
It is well known that plants-based diets are easier on the environment. By one measure producing animal protein requires up to 17 times as much land as vegetable protein. With this in mind, a group has come up with a plan aimed at forcing agricultural and dietary change. This week, the Federal Council rejected to proposal, reported […]
How unpaid fines lead to prison in Switzerland
Anyone in Switzerland who fails to pay a fine or penalty despite reminders will eventually end up serving a substitute prison sentence. Imprisonment typically last a few days, but it can last weeks or months. Recently published data show the scale of the practice. According to the rules, those who fail to pay fines voluntarily […]
