Those living in north eastern Switzerland planning to head south for a summer break live in fear of the Gotthard road tunnel, which is probably Switzerland’s most infamous traffic choke point. The summer of 2021 is proving to be no exception. On Monday, 26 July 2021, the queue of traffic on the northern side of […]
Robot mowers harmful to hedgehogs, according to study
Quiet, slow moving robot mowers might look quite harmless. However, research suggests many are not, reports RTS. Research presented by Swiss Animal Protection, reveals robot mowers present a high risk for hedgehogs. According to tests, 11 out of the 18 robot mowers tested present a high risk injury of death to hedgehogs, particularly young ones. […]
Foreigners in Switzerland avoiding welfare for fear of expulsion
Until fairly recently, anyone on a C-permit who had lived in Switzerland for 15 years was able to draw welfare payments without risking their permit. In 2019, a new law changed this. Article 63 of Switzerland’s federal law on foreigners (page 32) sets out a number of conditions that allow residency rights to be taken […]
Hiking and biking gain popularity in Switzerland
In 2019, residents of Switzerland spent 200 million hours hiking and 2.4 millions went on an average of 15 bike rides, according to recently published data from Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). In 2019, around 57% of residents aged over 15 went hiking, a figure 20 percentage points higher than in 2007. The steepest rise […]
Swiss supermarket Migros may soon sell alcohol
Currently, the Swiss supermarket Migros does not sell alcoholic drinks in its stores. Gottlieb Duttweiler, the retailer’s founder, instituted the policy to promote public health when the company was started in 1925. However, this autumn, the management of the cooperative is planning to vote on whether to allow alcohol on to the the company’s shelves […]
Swiss flood damage could cost half a billion francs
Switzerland’s four largest buildings insurers estimate the costs of recent weather events could reach half a billion francs across Switzerland, reported RTS. According to Grégoire Deiss, who works for the cantonal buildings insurer ECAB in Fribourg, the cost of recent storms and flooding could be around CHF 500 million across all of Switzerland, a figure […]
Vote to increase Swiss retirement age clears signature hurdle
The youth chapter of the PLR (FDP) has successfully collected enough signatures for an initiative to raise the official retirement age in Switzerland to 66 years old, reported RTS. On 16 July 2021, initiative organisers submitted 145,000 voter signatures as part of the formal process of launching a referendum in Switzerland. Under referendum rules a […]
New call for compulsory military service for Swiss women
This week, the Swiss Officers’ Society, a military association, announced that it was in favour of extending compulsory military service to both men and women, according to 20 Minutes. The association submitted a report, which included the recommendation to include compulsory service to women to Viola Amherd, Switzerland’s minister in charge of defense. Society president […]
Switzerland to shift from cold heavy rain to warm sun
Switzerland has not had as much rain as it has received over the last few weeks for 70 years, according to analysis by RTS. Between 21 June and 13 July 2021, more rain has fallen on Switzerland than during the same period for 70 years. In Geneva there has been more rain during early summer […]
Swiss anti-Covid certificate referendum gets record number of signatures
Launching a vote to repeal a Swiss law requires 50,000 voter signatures be collected within 100 days. A group opposed to a Swiss law allowing the issuance of voluntary Covid certificates gathered more than 187,000 signatures in 4 weeks, setting a new record, according to 20 Minutes. Collecting as many as 187,433 signatures in the […]
