The Geneva International Motor Show ended this evening. Compared to 2017, the number of visitors was down. Putting a positive spin on the decline, the organizer pointed out that fewer people and more space in the car park made visiting a better experience. The number of attendees in 2018 was down by 4.5% to 660,000, […]
Swiss voters could get to decide on Switzerland’s Winter Olympics bid
In October 2017, when Switzerland’s Federal Council announced the government would stand behind Sion’s bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, it sparked a backlash. A survey run by Tamedia in February 2018 suggests 59% of the Swiss public are against the bid, according to RTS. The estimated cost to Swiss taxpayers is close to CHF […]
Zurich and Geneva in top 10 most expensive cities
According to the Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 survey published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Singapore is the most expensive city in the world. Zurich and Geneva however are hot on its tail ranking 2rd and 6th respectively. Zurich is the most expensive in Europe in second position alongside Paris. The survey compares more than 400 individual […]
Snow returns to Switzerland this weekend
Snow is set to return to Switzerland falling on regions above 1,100 metres on Friday evening across the Lake Geneva region. On Saturday the snow limit is forecast to fall to 600 metres. In addition, the Bise wind is set strengthen over the course of Friday afternoon, according to Meteo Suisse. In German-speaking Switzerland the […]
My Swiss Story – a Swiss woman with wanderlust
Everyone has a story. Our series, “My Swiss Story” looks at lives in Switzerland. With a Japanese mother and Swiss father who met in England, it’s no surprise that Olivia Raths loves to travel with her husband (they met as children) and their young daughter. Just returning from a 7-week family adventure in San Francisco, […]
Geneva wants to limit Airbnb rentals to 60 days a year
The canton wants the platform to place limits on its use to put the brakes on commercial operators. The 60 day limit was set by Geneva’s State Council. Antonio Hodgers, State councillor in charge of housing told Tribune de Genève that renting on the platform had become a real business for some and that this […]
Swiss parliamentarians refuse to give up free first class travel
Several years ago Switzerland made international news for its leaders’ use of public transport, something aided by the free first class train passes given to Swiss members of parliament. Last week, Swiss parliamentarians voted to keep their first class train passes, with 154 votes in favour and 28 against. Despite being a vote akin to […]
Driverless buses spotted in Geneva
Last Friday two driverless vehicles painted with the TPG’s logo, the acronym for Geneva’s public transport, were spotted at Palexpo, the location of the Geneva International Motor Show. Le Salon de l’auto en mode autonome ! Profitez de votre visite au Salon pour peut-être avoir l’occasion de monter à bord du véhicule autonome des tpg […]
Switzerland – a definition of middle class
A recent survey calculates 60.1% of Switzerland’s population was middle class in 2015, a figure that has remained broadly stable since 1998, reaching its highest in 2009 (61.3%) and lowest in 2013 (56.8%). But what is middle class in Switzerland? According to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office, it is anyone living in a household with a […]
Swiss politicians with links to health sector can still fully participate in health commissions
Lukas Reimann, a parliamentarian and member of the Swiss Peoples Party (UDC/SVP), fought to have parliamentarians paid by health companies partially excluded from government commissions dealing with health issues. He thinks vested interests are behind high health premiums and that cartels must be broken. According to him 23 out of 25 of the members on […]
