Two members of Switzerland’s Federal Council announced they would step down earlier this year. Last week, two women were elected to replace them. Doris Leuthard and Johann Schneider-Ammann will be replaced by Karin Keller-Sutter and Viola Amherd. This means there will soon be three women, instead of two, among Switzerland’s seven-member executive team. Both women […]
When a discount is not a discount
When shoppers see a discount they typically assume the original price is correct. However, this is not always the case, as some hidden price labels have revealed. This week Ochsner, one of the Swiss retailers caught with suspect price discount labels, was fined CHF 4,000, according to the newspaper 20 minutes. Tandis que Manor dément […]
Switzerland’s 2019 motorway vignette goes on sale
Every year the vignette is a different colour. This year it’s metallic sky blue. Valid from 1 December 2018 until 31 January 2020, the new stickers will be available at the same CHF 40 price in the usual places: service stations, garages, post offices and customs offices. If you have a 2018 sticker it remains […]
Flying more than 10% of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas
More than 10% of greenhouse gas emitted by Switzerland comes from flying, according to data from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Overall, Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions were nearly 10% lower in 2016 than they were in 1990. However, the trend in flight emissions was the opposite, rising by 68% since 1990. The 10.7% […]
Famous Swiss vegetarian restaurant opens in Lausanne train station
On 7 December 2018, the restaurant chain Tibits, which has eight restaurants in German-speaking Switzerland, and one in London, opens its first restaurant west of the rösti graben*, in French-speaking Switzerland. Ahead of the launch of their first restaurant in 2000, three Swiss brothers, Christian, Daniel and Reto Frei, who had dreamt of creating quality […]
Over half of Swiss ready to rethink lifestyle to save the planet, according to survey
Over half (54%) of those surveyed felt climate change was serious enough for them to rethink their way of life, according to a survey by GFS Zurich. Across Switzerland, 62% of women and 46% of men thought this. The percentage was higher in German-speaking Switzerland (65%) than in French-speaking Switzerland (29%). Only a minority thought […]
Swiss offers fondue on flights from Geneva
On 1 December 2018, Switzerland’s flag carrier started offering cheese fondue on flights out of Geneva. The dish is a new addition to the airline’s Swiss Saveurs menu, which was launched six months earlier. The pre-heated, specially packaged fondue, which is 50% Vacherin Fribourg and 50% Gruyère cheese, is available on Swiss flights from Geneva […]
Inflation outstrips Swiss salary increases
The latest figures show that Swiss salaries have not kept up with inflation. An average Swiss salary rose 0.4% in 2017, compared to inflation of 0.5%. This left the average salary earner 0.1% worse off in real terms over the year. The figures were the same for both the secondary and tertiary sectors. The rise […]
No relief for Swiss renters as mortgage rates barely move
Every three months the rate of interest used to set Swiss rents is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. This time it remained at 1.50%. The last time it dropped was 2 June 2017 when it fell to 1.5%, its lowest level since 2008. The […]
Climate change contributes to surprise fall in Swiss GDP
Third quarter Swiss GDP figures released yesterday show Switzerland’s economy shrank compared to the quarter before. GDP for the quarter to September was down by 0.2% compared to the quarter before, ending an 18-month run of quarterly growth. The fall in Swiss GDP follows a quarterly slowdown across the rest of Europe, in Germany in […]
