On 20 October 2019, Swiss voters chose members of the 200-member National Council (parliament) and 46-member Council of States (upper house). Parties winning the greatest number of seats in the National Council were the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) – 53 seats (-12), the Swiss Socialists Party (PS/SP) – 39 seats (-4) , the Liberal Radical […]
Raising Switzerland’s retirement age – big differences of opinion
Switzerland’s government has long discussed the importance of raising the retirement age to ensure the financial viability of the pension system. However, it is not clear whether voters would support such a plan. According to a survey by Deloitte, an accounting and consulting company, raising the official retirement age might not find majority support among […]
Climate change could cause a billion francs of infrastructure damage a year in Switzerland
Climate change could soon cost Switzerland up to a billion francs a year in damage to infrastructure, according to an estimate by Switzerland’s Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). Between now and 2050, higher temperatures and irregular rainfall could reduce the amount of electricity produced by Switzerland’s hydroelectric infrastructure by several […]
More than 1,000 elected officials in Switzerland paid by employers for political work
Most elected officials in Switzerland have full-time jobs outside politics and undertake their political work on a part time basis. According to research by RTS, more than 1,000 people across all levels of government (federal, cantonal and communal) get some sort of financial help from their employer, typically in the form of paid leave, to […]
Swiss federal elections – test your knowledge
Switzerland holds federal elections every four years. The last was on 18 October 2015 and the next is on Sunday 20 October 2019. Answers are shown below in italics at the bottom of the page. 1. How many people have a right to vote in Switzerland? 2. Which party held the largest share of parliamentary […]
The cost of democracy – what Switzerland spends on its federal government
The cost of Switzerland’s federal government, including elections and referenda, comes to CHF 233 million annually, according to a calculation by RTS. This figure can be broken down into CHF 106 million to run the Federal Assembly, made up of the 200-seat National Council (parliament) and the 46-seat Council of States (upper house), CHF 17 […]
Referendum to ban tobacco advertising in Switzerland reaches 100,000 signatures
An initiative demanding a ban on tobacco advertising has collected 109,969 valid signatures, more than the 100,000 minimum required to launch a popular vote, according to RTS. The planned vote entitled: “Yes to the protection of children and young people against tobacco advertising” demands the federal government ban all forms of tobacco advertising towards children […]
Swiss upper house calls on executive to end marriage tax penalty
In Switzerland, some married couples pay more tax than unmarried ones, something referred to as the marriage tax penalty. The issue has been doing the rounds of the halls of Switzerland’s government for around 30 years. On 28 February 2016, a vote to change the current system was narrowly rejected by 50.8% of voters. Then […]
Initiative to house asylum seekers outside Switzerland approved
A initiative seeking a popular vote on a plan to house asylum seekers in secure zones in their home country or nearby was validated by federal officials this week. The initiative, which originates from the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), would require asylum applicants to stay in these secure zones until their applications were processed. Successful […]
Zurich homes market in highly overvalued territory, says UBS
Every quarter UBS, a bank, publishes its real estate bubble index, a report that covers real estate prices in 24 cities around the world. In the third quarter of 2019, Munich was listed as the most overvalued housing market in the world. Bubble risk was highest in Munich, Toronto, Hong Kong and Amsterdam. Frankfurt, Vancouver […]
