This week, a professor at the University of Bern was dismissed after publishing messages on X praising the attacks on Israelis by Hamas, reported RTS. On Tuesday, the university announced its decision to terminate the professor’s employment, describing the incident as unacceptable while underlining that it condemns all forms of violence. In addition, the university […]
Rent disputes multiply in French-speaking Switzerland
The costs of mortgages and building maintenance are rising. Rents are following. In French-speaking Switzerland tenant arbitration organisations are receiving a deluge of complaints and requests for help from tenants, reported RTS. In Switzerland, it is common for rental agreements to contain a clause that allows rents to be adjusted up or down based on […]
Switzerland’s birthrate drops sharply in 2022
Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show an 8% annual fall in the number of natural births in Switzerland. In 2022, there were 82,371 births, down 8.1% from 89,644 in 2021. The recent fall in births follows a rise of 4.3% in 2021 following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. In […]
Referendum to cap health insurance premiums to move forward
An initiative proposed by Switzerland’s Centre Party looks set to move to the next phase after government counter proposals were rejected this week, reported SRF. The cost of Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance will rise by 8.7% next year, something that has pushed the issue to the top of voters’ list of concerns – in a […]
Pre-election poll shows drift to right in Switzerland
The last poll before Switzerland’s federal election on 22 October 2023 shows a drift right compared to Switzerland’s federal election in 2019. The poll run by Sotomo on behalf of Switzerland’s state broadcaster between 22 September and 5 October 2023, shows clear winners and losers. Parties on the rise include the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) […]
More than a quarter of Switzerland’s doctors over 60
As Switzerland’s population ages so do its doctors. In 2021, more than a quarter of doctors were more than 60 years old, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). At the end of 2021 Switzerland had 25,439 doctors working in doctors’ surgeries or outpatient centres, a rate of nearly 3 per 1,000 […]
Speed limits of 80 km/h will soon apply on Swiss motorways
During peak times when there is a lot of traffic the maximum speed on Swiss motorways will soon be reduced to 80km/h on some stretches so that trucks and cars travel at the same speed. The lower speed limit aims to reduce traffic jams and improve flow, reported SRF. On Swiss motorways speeds of 80 […]
One Swiss canton fines those who do not vote
Despite Switzerland’s legendary levels of democracy, surprisingly few vote. At the last general election in 2019 only around 45% of voters voted. To encourage voter participation the canton of Schaffhausen fines those who don’t take the time to take part in democracy, reported SRF. Across Switzerland, since 1979, more than 49% of eligible voters have […]
Swiss still travelling less than before pandemic
In 2022, 88% of Switzerland’s population made at least one trip abroad which included an overnight stay of one night or more, reported the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. Last year, Swiss residents made an average of 8 day trips and 2.6 trips with overnight stays, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the […]
Swiss inflation turns negative in September
Switzerland’s consumer price index (CPI) changed by -0.1% in September 2023 compared with the previous month, and year-on-year inflation was +1.7%, a rate below the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) target maximum rate of 2.0%, reported Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The 0.1% fall compared with the previous month was due to several factors, wrote FSO. […]
