Sometimes Swiss voters are presented with questions that only specialists are equipped to answer. The vote on 10 June 2018 to change their monetary system appears to be one of these. On the surface it appears simple. Upon closer inspection it contains much complexity and uncertainty, compounded by a widespread misunderstanding of how the financial […]
Fribourg – moves to axe government pensions for life
Switzerland’s government is working hard to find ways to fix a looming state pension shortfall. Two politicians in the canton of Fribourg have decided to seek savings by attempting to cut lifetime government pensions granted after short stints in the job, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. In some Swiss cantons, government leaders can work […]
Swiss to vote on synthetic pesticide ban
In Switzerland, a popular vote, or referendum, can be launched when 100,000 signatures are collected within 18 months. A crowd-funded initiative entitled: Save Switzerland from synthetic pesticides, now has more than 140,000 signatures and will be officially lodged with the government on 25 May. The initiative hopes to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in […]
Refugees in Switzerland who return home to face tougher treatment
Switzerland is set to get tougher on refugees who return to their home country. Swiss law already strips someone who voluntarily does this of refugee status. Anyone voluntarily returning home is assumed to no longer be persecuted in that state and therefore no longer in need of refugee status. This week a States Council commission […]
Swiss earthquake – Vevey wobbles
If you live near Vevey you might have felt a mild earthquake this morning at around 11:32 am when an earthquake measuring 2.9 struck. No damage was reported and many would not have noticed anything. An earthquake of a similar magnitude (3.1) occurred in the region at 17:30 the day before, according to Switzerland’s seismological […]
Becoming Swiss – Vaud publishes new general knowledge questions
Times change and so have the requirements for becoming Swiss. On the 1st of January 2018 the process got tougher. New language requirements, the need to have a C-permit and more questions on applicants’ knowledge of Switzerland are the main changes. Every commune (Gemeinde) and canton (Kanton) has its own particularities when it comes to […]
Swiss Rail drops plan to put Wi-Fi in trains
Swiss Rail has dropped plans to install Wi-Fi in its trains, according to the newspaper Le Matin. After a survey revealed that customers would only use on-board Wi-Fi it was free, the company decided there was no justifiable way to cover the cost, according the the newspaper. Swiss Rail is not prepared to bear the […]
Weeding with water instead of herbicide – is this the future?
Designed in northern Italy by the company Caffini, the water powered Grass Killer, was spotted weeding grape vines in Valais Switzerland, by the newspaper 20 Minutes. Swiss grape growers have been testing the invention for the last three years. According to Caffini, the Grass Killer hits weeds with water sprayed at a pressure of 1,000 […]
Disability welfare – fraud investigations expected to save 170 million
By January 2018, the number receiving disability welfare in Switzerland had dropped to 217,200, 40,300 fewer than in 2006 when the number reached a record 257,500. Switzerland’s Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) attributes the reduction to an occupational rehabilitation programme started in 2008, and disability welfare fraud investigations. In 2017, 40,800 disability beneficiaries were eligible for the […]
Median Swiss salary rises
Swiss salaries have risen according to a recently published report by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office. The median gross monthly salary was CHF 6,5021 in 2016, CHF 313 higher than in 2014. 50% of Swiss workers earned more than this and 50% earned less. CHF 6,502 a month is an annual salary of CHF 78,024 (US$ […]
