From 16 January 2024, British citizens living abroad are now eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. A new law passed in 2022, which came into force this week removes the previous 15-year time limit. The UK Electoral Commission is calling on voters […]
Switzerland and the EU aim for quick start to negotiations
Viola Amherd, Switzerland’s president, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, agreed at the WEF in Davos that they wanted to begin negotiations quickly, reported SRF. Switzerland’s long running saga of negotiations with the EU cleared a hurdle on 15 December 2023 when the Federal Council approved a draft negotiating mandate with […]
Swiss government victim of pro-Russian cyber attack
On 17 January 2024, several federal government websites were temporarily down after a cyber attack, reported RTS. The attack was claimed by the pro-Russian group ‘NoName’ and linked to the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) the group launched a DDoS attack. […]
Switzerland to send old trams to Ukraine
On 12 January 2024, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) announced the donation of as many as 78 trams to the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Vinnytsa. The cities of Bern and Zurich will provide 11 and up to 67 decommissioned but fully operational trams respectively. SECO will organise and finance the transport of […]
Switzerland and UK agree post-Brexit financial services trade deal
More than seven years after a slim majority (51.9%) of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, Switzerland and the UK have agreed a deal that clears the way to more open cooperation in the financial services sector, helping to restore the pre-Brexit arrangement between the two nations. On Thursday, Switzerland and the UK […]
Switzerland moves forward on EU discussions
On 15 December 2023, Switzerland’s Federal Council approved a draft negotiating mandate with the EU. Negotiations should begin as soon as the EU and Swiss government definitively approve the mandate, reported SRF. The draft mandate is the result of around 70 meetings between Switzerland and the EU at various levels.The document creates the conditions required […]
Iranian president cancels Geneva trip after arrest petition
Three Iranians living in Switzerland requested the arrest of Ebrahim Raïssi, Iran’s president who was scheduled to visit Geneva on Wednesday, reported RTS. Raïssi later cancelled his visit, reported the newspaper Le Temps. Three Iranians, supported by more than 300 petitioners, requested the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) arrest the president while […]
International Olympic Committee drops Swiss bid
The Winter Olympics will not take place in Switzerland in 2030, decided the International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week, reported SRF. The IOC said it is refusing to allow the Swiss project to enter the next application phase, known as targeted dialogue. This means France will almost certainly be awarded the games for 2030, with […]
Swiss government aiming for EU negotiating mandate by year end
Switzerland in not a member of the EU. However, via a series of deals it operates to a large extent as a member would. Brussels put pressure on Switzerland to replace these deals with a single agreement giving Switzerland less wiggle room. In May 2021, Switzerland said no to the deal on the table. On […]
The hardest cantons to become Swiss
Becoming a Swiss citizen is a lengthy and sometimes arduous process. For those with an EU passport 10 years of residency is required before applying. In addition, there are language requirements, general knowledge tests, proof of not having received welfare recently and of having paid taxes, along with typically significant fees, depending on the canton. […]
