From 1 July 2022, same sex couples will be able to marry or convert their registered partnerships into marriage, announced the Swiss government this week. The announcement on 17 November 2021 follows a popular vote on the subject on 26 September 2021 when 64.1% voted in favour same sex marriage. The new law will be […]
Lights out – Geneva to cut lights to save electricity
This week, the government of the canton of Geneva changed a law to require non residential buildings, with some exceptions, to switch off their lights at night between 1am and 6am. Thursday’s parliamentary vote in favour of the move is expected to cut the canton’s electricity consumption by at least 1%. During parts of winter, […]
Football: Switzerland makes it through to 2022 World Cup
On 15 November 2021, Switzerland won 4-0 against Bulgaria in Luzern, making Switzerland the winning team in its group, reported Le Matin. The win on Monday means Switzerland has a place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The quadrennial football match will see 32 national teams compete between 21 November and 18 December 2022. […]
Trains running again between Lausanne and Geneva after 3-day outage
On Tuesday, trains services between Geneva and Lausanne were halted after the ground near part of the rail network collapsed in Tolochenaz near Morges. Trains started operating between the two cities early on Friday morning after a 3-day hiatus. From 5 am on Friday trains started running but were required to slow to 20 km/h […]
After 95 years, Migros set to sell alcohol
Last weekend the management of one of Switzerland’s two largest supermarkets voted in favour of selling alcohol in its stores, reported the company. Company founder Gottlieb Duttweiler, who passed away in 1962, did not want the business to sell alcohol, something that was prevented by the cooperative’s constitution. Duttweiler did not want to fuel alcohol […]
Switzerland’s fastest and slowest growth cantons
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office published the latest cantonal GDP figures. Switzerland’s overall GDP growth in 2019 was 1.2%. However there were wide cantonal differences. The six fastest growing cantons in 2019 were Obwalden (+3.5%), Glarus (+3.2%), Zug (+2.7%), Basel-City (+2.6%), Luzern (+2.6%) and Valais (+2.5%). At the other end of the spectrum were […]
Former Swiss parliamentarian blocked by Facebook for posting conspiracy theories
A vocal supporter of the 28 November 2021 vote against Switzerland’s Covid-19 laws, former federal parliamentarian and former leader of the UDC/SVP in the canton of Valais, Oskar Freysinger had one of his recent interview posts blocked by Facebook this week, reported Le Matin. In the interview, which was successfully posted on other social media, […]
Domestic violence widespread in Switzerland, according to survey
According to a recent study, 42% of women and 24% of men reported being subject to violence by their partner in Switzerland. Across both groups the percentage was 33%. The survey, run by Sotomo on behalf of the National Federation for women’s solidarity, questioned 3,597 people across Switzerland. The National Federation for women’s solidarity provides […]
Initiative launched for vote to agree Swiss deal with EU
A group called Opération Libero and the Green party plan to come together to launch a referendum to require Switzerland’s federal government to sign new deal with the EU. At a meeting on 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council evaluated the results of Switzerland’s negotiations with the EU around the institutional framework agreement, an agreement […]
45% fear conflict when discussing Covid-19 in Switzerland
Between July and October 2021, the percentage of Switzerland’s population fearing interpersonal conflict on the subject of Covid-19 leapt from 24% to 45%, according to a survey run by Sotomo for the broadcaster SSR. In a similar survey in March 2020, 10% feared interpersonal conflict on the subject. By October 2020, the percentage had risen […]
