If next week’s vote had taken place on 19 January 2019 it would have failed suggests a poll run by Swiss broadcaster SSR. A similar poll in December 2018 show a majority in favour of the plan. The latest poll shows that only 47% are certain or fairly certain to vote in favour while around […]
Switzerland 3rd in corruption perception index
Every year, the NGO Transparency International ranks nations based on perceived corruption, with the least corrupt at the top. 100 is a perfect score and zero the worst. This year, Denmark (88) and New Zealand (87) came first and second. Switzerland (85), Finland (85), Singapore (85) and Sweden (85) were third equal. At the bottom […]
Sharp increase in judicial deportation of foreign criminals in Geneva in 2018
Last year, the canton’s court ruled that 439 foreign criminals could be deported, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. In 2017 the number was 283, 64% of the number in 2018. In addition, the percentage of cases resulting in a deportation ruling went from 49% to 59% between 2017 and 2018. Deporting foreign criminals – […]
Rejected Swiss citizenship applicants withdraw appeal
A couple who refused to the shake hands with those interviewing them during their citizenship application, has withdrawn their appeal challenging its rejection, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, a local politician who interviewed the couple last spring told Keystone-ATS that the couple’s application was rejected by a majority of the municipality of […]
Swiss roofs could produce over 80% of the nation’s electricity
Information combining maps from Swisstopo with weather data from Swiss Meteo shows that if all the roofs of Switzerland’s buildings were fully equipped with solar panels they’d produce 50 tWh of electricity a year, around 83% of the 60 tWh of electricity consumed annually, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. Combined with Switzerland’s […]
Religion declines further in Switzerland
Statistics for 2017 show that 26% of Switzerland’s residents have no religion. As recently as 1960 the same figure was less than 1%. In 2016, the same figure was 25%. The percentage with no faith shows significant regional variations. While only 20% of Italian speakers have no religion, 25% in German-speaking Switzerland and 31% in […]
Nearly half of Swiss admit to stealing
Either at work, at a restaurant, on public transport or in a shop, nearly half of Swiss admit to stealing, according to a survey by moneyland.ch 49% of the 1,500 questioned in the survey admitted to pocketing something without paying. Young people admitted to being the most light fingered. Around a fifth of those aged […]
CERN in contact with Elon Musk about new super-sized collider
Elon Musk has been in communication with the director of CERN about the construction of a tunnel for the proposed super collider under discussion at the Geneva-based organisation. Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been busy boring a hole under Los Angeles, making him a logical person to contact if you have plans to dig a […]
Swiss politicians might soon have to declare dual nationality
Swiss parliamentarians could soon be required to show any other nationalities they hold on the official parliamentary website. The idea was supported by 15 members of a 22-member parliamentary commission looking at it, according to RTS. The initiative was launched by Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) member Marco Chiesa and has stated aim of improving transparency. […]
Vote against laws restricting religious clothing in public office divides Geneva
In Switzerland, religion is a cantonal matter. Cantons decide on the relationship between religion and politics. This has created a patchwork of different systems across Switzerland. In April 2018, the government of Geneva introduced new rules designed to further protect religious freedom and preserve religious neutrality in its public institutions, known as laïcité or secularity laws. Laïcité […]
