This week, Maros Sefcovic, the vice president of the European Commission, met in Bern with Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland’s foreign minister to progress talks on Switzerland’s future deal with the EU with the aim of concluding negotiations by the end of the year, reported RTS. Responding to questions, Ignazio Cassis said they’re on the home straight […]
New data on Switzerland’s gender pay gap
Across much of the developed world, gender pay disparities all but disappear if comparisons are made like for like, looking at individuals doing the same function in the same company, according to Korn Ferry Hay Group research, which looked at 20 million salaries at 25,000 organizations in 100 nations. However, because of job and career […]
Swiss homeowners shun heat pumps in favour of gas and oil heating
Electric heat pumps have a lower carbon footprint than gas and oil heating systems. They are more energy efficient, and, when gas, coal and oil electricity generation are eventually phased out of the grid, they will be close to emission free. However, the number of heat pumps being installed in Switzerland is falling, and the […]
Rail infrastructure cost overrun surprises Swiss government
Last weekend, Swiss voters rejected a plan to invest in road infrastructure, partly due to the CHF 4.9 billion price tag. This week, Switzerland’s federal parliament learned the CHF 16.4 billion budgeted for rail infrastructure expansion between now and 2035 could reach more than CHF 30 billion, reported SRF. The cost overrun was first reported […]
Blokes and Black Dogs: It’s OK to talk
By Carl Wahlers Depression, suicide and loneliness are key factors among men over 40 years old, particularly expatriate and retirement age professionals living in countries such as Switzerland. It is often difficult to develop social ties with local communities or to find purpose leaving afflicted individuals high and dry, reluctant or unable to seek help. Three […]
Votes: a bad weekend for the government
On 24 November 2024, voters rejected three of the four federal government projects put to them. A project to expand sections of motorway with heavy congestion and changes to rules related to subletting and lease termination for landlords wanting to live in their own properties were all rejected. The only project winning public approval was […]
Swiss to vote on healthcare funding rule changes
The rising cost of Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance is a major political issue. The government has hatched a plan aimed at improving incentives in the hope it will reduce the seemingly never ending rise in health insurance premiums. However, a number of people sceptical of the plan’s ability to deliver the saving have organised a […]
Swiss to vote on tenancy laws this weekend
Most people in Switzerland rent. This means the nation has strict tenancy rules, some of which are viewed as too strict by the current government. Both parliament and the Council of States have come up with two changes aimed at limiting the actions of tenants, which are considered abusive. These two votes are the result […]
Swiss to vote on plan to upgrade motorways this weekend
On 24 November 2024, the Swiss will vote on four questions. The first is a federal government plan to invest in expanding Switzerland’s motorway network. The government’s plan aims to alleviate six motorway bottlenecks. The Federal Council points out that traffic on the nation’s highways has more than doubled since 1990 and the estimated CHF […]
Switzerland remains the European leader in rail travel
This week, ahead of a vote to decide whether to expand the nations roads, LITRA, an organisation championing public transport in Switzerland, published its annual report on train travel across Europe. The figures show how far ahead of the rest of Europe Switzerland is on both the average number of journeys and distance travelled by […]
