The latest forecast for 2021 shows a deficit of CHF 14.8 billion, down CHF 2.6 billion from an earlier forecast shortfall of CHF 17.4 billion. The deficit is driven mainly by the extraordinary cost of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. The federal government expects to spend CHF 4.1 billion on vaccines (1.2) and tests (2.5) […]
Switzerland wants to make it easier for some foreign students to stay
On 27 October 2021, the Federal Council put forward a plan to change the rules around foreign students working in Switzerland upon completing study at a Swiss university. The proposed rules would allow those graduating from Swiss universities with masters or doctorates in fields with a shortage of workers to work in Switzerland more easily. […]
Switzerland hatches plan to use roads and railways to produce electricity
On 27 October 2021, the Swiss government adopted a report setting out how Swiss motorways and railway lines could be used to generate more than 100 GWh of electricity a year. Calculations in the report show that solar panels placed on noise reduction barriers running along the edges of motorways and railway lines in Switzerland […]
Swiss government moves closer to legalising cannabis
This week, a Council of States commission accepted a plan to regulate the cannabis trade in Switzerland, reported 20 Minutes. This decision by the public health commission follows an earlier one by a parliamentary commission looking at the same question. The way is now clear for parliament to create a new law that lifts the […]
Swiss clocks go back one hour this Sunday
Early on Sunday 31 October 2021 Swiss clocks turn back one hour. Officially they are adjusted at 3am. The rest of Europe will adjust its clocks at the same time. This means one hour longer in bed and more light when you get up. On the down side, it will be darker in the evenings. […]
Switzerland faces nurse shortage as exhaustion drives some to quit
Currently, with nearly 6,000 nursing vacancies in Switzerland the sector raises the alarm, reports 20 Minutes. According to the latest figures, there are a record 5.761 unfilled nursing positions in Switzerland. At the same time in 2019 there were 4,716, 18% fewer. Vacancies now represent around 3% of the 185,600 nurses currently working in Switzerland. […]
Left out of Horizon, Switzerland starts funding its own participation
This week, Switzerland’s federal council released CHF 400 million to fund Swiss research projects once part of Horizon Europe, an EU research programme that is the world’s most heavily funded. Switzerland was cut out of the programme when it unilaterally ended talks with the EU aimed at agreeing a deal with the bloc. Since being […]
Switzerland remains top place for expats in 2021
Switzerland is the highest rated country in the latest HSBC expat ranking published this week, a position held for the last three years. 91% of the expats surveyed living in Switzerland said their living environment was better than it was before moving. The average on this measure across all expats questioned was 67%. After moving, […]
Thousands protest against Covid measures in Switzerland
Over the weekend, several thousand people took to Swiss streets to protest against Switzerland’s measures to reduce the impact of Covid-19, reported RTS. In Lausanne, between 800 and 1,000 people marched in protest against Covid certificates and restrictions on individual liberty. No violence or property damage was reported. In Lugano, calls from an association named […]
Swiss president warns nation to prepare for electricity shortages
According to Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s president, it is possible the country could suffer electricity shortages for weeks or even months by 2025. Switzerland faces two principal challenges when it come to electricity. The first is that it doesn’t produce enough and must import electricity to satisfy demand. During winter around 20% of Switzerland’s electricity is […]
