Last week, the Federal Council looked again at residence permits and adopted new rules, which were accepted by parliament in 2016, according to the newspaper Le Matin. The new rules, which will be introduced at the beginning of 2019, will help foreigners integrate and remove permits from those who don’t. To aid integration, the special […]
Swiss study recommends 38 weeks of parental leave
A referendum calling for four weeks of paternity leave is currently working it’s way through the system. This week, a government commission gave its verdict on the vote, recommending two weeks of paternity leave instead of the four set out in the referendum’s text. Their commission’s main concerns are centred on the impact on companies […]
Cows suffer long after their horns are removed, says new research
A new study concludes that the pain associated with horn removal can last for months, according to a report by the Luzerner Zeitung. This conclusion supports the upcoming vote to penalize dehorning in Switzerland. The initiative, scheduled for 25 November 2018, entitled: For the dignity of farm animals, aims to withdraw farm subsidies from farmers […]
The secrets of the new 200 Swiss franc note
Switzerland began updating its notes starting with the 50 franc note in April 2016. It then issued the new 20 franc note in May 2017, and the new 10 in October 2017. The newest note to grace Swiss wallets, pockets and purses is the 200 franc note, which was launched on 22 August 2018. Switzerland’s […]
A cold front could bring snow to Switzerland this weekend
While it might be difficult to believe when it’s over 30 degrees, snow is forecast to fall above 2,000 metres in Switzerland this weekend, according to meteonews. High temperatures are expected to give way to high altitude snow from Friday as a cold front sweeps across Europe, according to the weather service. This Sunday, Swiss Meteo, […]
No handshake. No Swiss passport.
Last week, the commune of Lausanne rejected a couple’s application to become Swiss after they refused to shake hands with officials of the opposite sex, according to a report by Keystone-ATS published in Le Matin. Their application was rejected on the grounds that this attitude does not respect the equality of men and women, a […]
Switzerland’s most popular names in 2017
In Switzerland one name really stands out. At the end of 2017, 84,100 people called Maria were living in Switzerland, a number that far outstrips the second most popular female name Anna (41,950), according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Part of Maria’s secret to success is its appeal in all of Switzerland’s linguistic […]
Swiss health insurance companies aim to make it easier to break contracts
Swiss health insurance companies are aiming to change laws to make it easier for them to unilaterally end complementary insurance contracts, according to the newspaper Le Matin. Health insurers have managed to get this possibility included in a project aimed at revising Switzerland’s laws on insurance contracts, set for discussion by a parliamentary committee this […]
Might Switzerland test a 140 km/h speed limit?
Bern’s young Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) is calling for a new speed limit of 140 km/h to be tested on a stretch of Swiss motorway between Bern and Bienne. The demand for the test, on a stretch of road between Schönbühl and Lyss, was made via a press release. The Schönbühl-Lyss section was chosen because […]
Zurich and Geneva make Europe’s top 5 most livable cities
This year the world’s most livable city was Vienna, which knocked Melbourne, the leader for seven years, off its top spot. The annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit looks at 140 cities around the world. Zurich and Geneva both rose in the 2018 global ranking. Zurich from 15th to 11th place, and Geneva from 18th […]
