The withdrawal of US troops from Europe is a question of time, Ben Hodges, a former US general, told SonntagsBlick in an interview this week. Switzerland should prepare itself for war, he said. The best way to prevent war is to prepare for it, said Hodges. Not being prepared invites attack, said the retired general […]
Swiss central bank cuts interest rate to 2.5 year low
While many central banks, such as the US Fed and the Bank of England, are holding off on rate cuts, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is diving in. On 20 March 2025, the SNB cut its interest rate by a further 0.25 percentage points to 0.25%. The rate hasn’t been this low since September 2022, […]
FILM: AGENT OF HAPPINESS ***1/2
21 March 2025. AGENT OF HAPPINESS ***1/2 (vo Bhutanese/Dzongkha, Nepali) Bhutan is a small, mountainous country, nestled between Nepal, China and India, with breathtaking natural vistas and a citizenship that has been gently guided by its popular king to believe in its serenity and peaceful harmony. It creates some beautiful cinema, with films such as […]
The rapid rise of fare dodging in Switzerland
In 2024, more than 1 million cases of fare evasion were recorded in Switzerland, reported RTS. The number has more than doubled since 2019. Why? Data published by the public transport association Alliance Swisspass offer clues. Switzerland keeps good records. The names of those caught without a ticket on public transport are entered into a […]
Switzerland slides in happiness ranking in 2025
In 2012, Switzerland was ranked the happiest nation on Earth. However, since then it has sadly slid from the top spot to 13th. While Switzerland continues to score well on GDP (3rd), healthy life expectancy, generosity (12th) and low perception of corruption (3rd), it has lost ground on social support (20th) and freedom (20th). The […]
Switzerland approves trade deal with India
On 21 March 2025, Switzerland’s parliament approved an historic trade deal with India. The deal will give Swiss businesses an advantage over EU, US and UK competitors whose governments have yet to reach trade deals with India. The deal was supported by 131 versus 22 parliamentary votes. The main opposition came from Socialist Party members […]
Money remains main concern for Swiss families
The results of a survey on family life published on 20 March 2025 show that money remains the biggest concern among families in Switzerland. The survey sheds light on what families are currently concerned about and addresses the topics of family life, expectations, safety, retirement planning, pressure on parents and children, work-life balance, finances and […]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and naturalisation. Before 2019, formal testing of language ability was not typical. Since then it has been formalised and standardised across cantons […]
4 best mountain spas in French-speaking Switzerland
ALL YEAR ROUND The Alps are synonymous with skiing but alpine geothermal springs and spas are sometimes overlooked. If the thought of lugging skis, poles and person to the ski lift to spend a day risking life and limb on snow isn’t appealing, or the sun has gone into hiding, then why not head to […]
