Infant formula sold in Switzerland still contains traces of cereulide, a toxin that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in babies, according to an investigation by RTS. Although the products comply with the emergency threshold adopted by European food-safety authorities, the broadcaster questions both the scientific basis of that limit and the testing methods used to […]
Higher health-insurance deductible wins backing on the right, not the left
Switzerland’s government is pressing ahead with plans to raise the minimum annual health-insurance deductible from CHF 300 to CHF 400, reports RTS. The proposal has exposed familiar political divisions: parties on the right and health insurers support it, while the left, trade unions and cities oppose it. The Centre Party and the cantons occupy a […]
Swiss rent control initiative passes signature hurdle
This week, the Swiss Tenants’ Association submitted a popular initiative aimed at curbing rents after collecting more than 140,000 signatures. The proposal would require rents to be reviewed automatically at regular intervals. If a review found rents to be too high, landlords would be obliged to reduce them. The initiative is backed by an alliance […]
Is Switzerland reliving the infamous summer of 2003?
Switzerland is enduring its tenth consecutive day of temperatures above 30°C, placing this June among the hottest on record. The month began cool but turned hot. Temperatures rose sharply from the middle of the month, with much of the country surpassing 30°C on June 16th and 17th. The prolonged heat invites comparisons with the exceptional […]
Half of Swiss voters are now over 60
Switzerland’s electorate is ageing rapidly. New calculations by the liberal think tank Avenir Suisse show that the median age of those who vote in nationwide referendums is now about 60. In other words, half of active voters are older than 60. Since 2000 the median age has risen by seven years. That makes the active […]
Swiss government trims defence tax increase
The Swiss government has scaled back—but not abandoned—its plan to raise value-added tax (VAT) to finance higher defence spending. In January the Federal Council proposed a temporary 0.8-percentage-point increase in the standard VAT rate to help fund Switzerland’s growing security needs. Following a public consultation, it has reduced the proposed rise to 0.5 percentage points. […]
The bonus culture driving up Swiss health costs
Switzerland’s health minister has taken aim at the lucrative pay packets earned by some radiologists, arguing that they expose deeper flaws in the country’s healthcare system. Speaking on public radio on June 19th, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider criticised reports that radiologists working for 3R, a leading medical-imaging group in French-speaking Switzerland, receive annual compensation of between CHF […]
Geneva votes “no” to elected politicians wearing religious symbols
Geneva likes to think of itself as Switzerland’s most secular canton. Last weekend voters reaffirmed that identity, albeit narrowly. A constitutional amendment banning elected politicians from displaying visible religious symbols while carrying out their duties passed with 51.4% of the vote. The result revives a debate that has simmered for years. A similar restriction was […]
Swiss food-security initiative rejected by government
Food security occupies a special place in Swiss political culture. During the second world war, Switzerland launched the Wahlen Plan, a drive to expand domestic food production in anticipation of a possible blockade. The programme became part of the country’s collective memory and continues to shape debates about agriculture. Advocates of greater self-sufficiency frequently invoke […]
Swiss parliament leaves extra state pension only partly funded
The Swiss parliament has agreed only a partial funding plan for the new 13th annual state-pension payment, reported RTS. After lengthy wrangling, the National Council backed an increase in value-added tax (VAT) but rejected higher payroll contributions, leaving much of the additional cost uncovered. The National Council voted to raise VAT by 0.4 percentage points. […]
