This video from Swissinfo.ch is an engaging beginners guide to how Switzerland’s unusual bottom-up democracy works.
Are Swiss language divisions increasing?
The Swiss are well known for their language capabilities, many of them speaking at least three. Foreigners living here are therefore often surprised to discover how wide divisions are among the country’s four different language regions. Mastery of others’ tongues has been on the decline for decades, while there are few common cultural events and no national media.
Preparing for the next Swiss tsunami
A tsunami on Lake Geneva? Well, one did happen over 1,400 years ago. BERN As difficult as it may be to imagine a tsunami in landlocked Switzerland, geophysical and climate scientists consider it their duty to adopt a long-term view of cataclysmic events to help mankind prepare preventive measures. Records show that a tsunami caused […]
Payot goes international
GENEVA Much has been written about the bleak future for bookshops in the face of digital competition, with booksellers around the world fearing their shops may become quaint relics of the past, like tobacconists, albeit for different reasons. This phenomenon also has been noticed in Switzerland where Payot, the Suisse Romande chain, has stood fast […]
Switzerland part of EU plan to battle invasive species
GLAND There are over 12,000 alien animal and plant species in Europe, ranging from the North American grey squirrel, red-eared terrapin and grass carp to the highly dangerous Asian hornet and tiger mosquito. They are causing €12 billion worth of damage annually and pose an ever-growing threat to biodiversity and health. Walking around ponds and […]
Research will be funded
BERN Switzerland’s scientific community heaved a collective sigh of relief following measures from Bern to temporarily fund some projects. The panic has not completely died down however, since the measures proposed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) are transitional, pending resolution of the problem posed by the cutoff of EU funding. After the 9 […]
Switzerland at 14 million – with no towers
The people have spoken: the boat is full and cannot accept any more! LAUSANNE “Not so,” says a noted Swiss architect who has done a comprehensive study showing that Switzerland could accommodate as many as 14 million inhabitants over the next three decades, with no decline in lifestyle and without building more towers. Basel architect […]
“It’s not the end of the world!”
Geneva’s MP for the conservative Swiss People’s Party (UDC), which launched the 9 February referendum against mass immigration, tried to reassure a gathering of internationals organized by Le News on 3 April: “The end of the world has not come,” said Yves Nidegger. In his introductory remarks, Ed Girardet, the moderator and Le News’ Managing […]
Living with special needs
NYON Living with special needs, either physical or intellectual, is no impediment to a full and active life in the Lake Geneva region. Stretching from Geneva to Montreux, the region offers an often unique wealth of opportunities for children and adults living with special needs. These include private and state-run schools and centres for youngsters […]
Going green by burning wood
ANZÈRE It may not be the best-known destination in the Valais, but the 43-year old ski resort of Anzère is among the greenest, possessing one of Europe’s largest wood-pellet heating systems, after Denmark and Sweden. A similar heating facility for Le Brassus Bois SA was built in Le Sentier, Vaud in 2009. Local Swiss energy […]