On 8 June 2022, Switzerland’s parliament voted against a Green Party plan to allow foreigners with at least 5 years of residency to vote and be elected in federal elections, reported ATS. A total of 113 members versus 63 voted against the plan. Foreigners living in Switzerland who wish to participate in democratic life are […]
SWISS cancels summer flights due to staff shortages
On 7 June 2022, Swiss International Air Lines announced that around 2% of passengers on scheduled flights to destinations in Germany, Poland, UK and Los Angeles would be affected. A SWISS spokesperson said that bottlenecks at air control centres, ground and airport services in Europe and at SWISS were to blame. Personnel shortages at the […]
Swiss road traffic almost back to pre-Covid level
Less traffic was one silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, long hours spent in traffic jams returned to Switzerland in 2021. On some stretches the waiting is worse. A report published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) is grim reading for road users in a hurry. The Covid pandemic led to a […]
SWISS repays Covid government guaranteed loans early
On 9 June 2022, Switzerland’s government announced that SWISS had repaid the loans the Confederation had guaranteed at the end of May 2022, ending the arrangement with no loss of public funds. After the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the aviation industry, Switzerland’s Federal Council decided in spring 2020 to provide support in the form of […]
Swiss salaries shrink for men and rise for women in 2021
Overall, in 2021, Swiss salaries shrunk by 0.2% in nominal terms and by 0.8% in real terms, given an annual rate of inflation of 0.6% across the year, reported the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. However, when broken down, women saw an overall increase in pay of 0.6% while men on average saw pay […]
Swiss government changes solar electricity rules
On 2 June 2022, Switzerland’s parliament adopted two motions to accelerate the adoption of solar panels. The first motion aimed to allow private individuals to earn better returns on the electricity they produce. Under the proposal they would be able to sell electricity to other individuals, municipalities and cantons without paying heavy network charges. 140 […]
Swiss post drops pioneering delivery drones
After five years of pioneering work, Swiss Post has decided to abandon it drone project. The experimental autonomous drones have attracted much global interest since their launch in 2017. However, given the current regulatory environment for unmanned aerial vehicles in Switzerland the company said it is unable to use the drones widely enough or operate […]
Swiss government to ease personal bankruptcy rules
Rules related to personal bankruptcy in Switzerland are tough compared to many countries. In effect, they give heavily indebted individuals breathing space rather than a clean slate. This week, Switzerland’s government put forward a plan to soften the rules. To initiate personal bankruptcy proceedings (technically insolvency proceedings) in Switzerland requires funds of around CHF 5,000 […]
Swiss unemployment drops sharply in first quarter of 2022
During the first quarter of 2022 the number of people employed in Switzerland rose by 1.7% and the unemployment rate, as defined by the International Labor Organisation (ILO) fell from 5.8% to 4.6%. In addition, the average number of hours worked by those employed rose by 2.8%. The overall rate of unemployment in Switzerland by […]
Polluted areas in Switzerland – do you live near one?
According to Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) there are 38,000 polluted zones covering 220 square kilometres spread across the country, reported RTS. 220 square kilometres is equivalent to nearly 80% of the canton of Geneva. The interactive map below combines data from the army, public transport, civil aerodromes and cantons to present polluted […]
