From 20 April 2025, Switzerland will be living on energy credit. Domestic resources will have been exhausted for the year, according to the Swiss Energy Foundation (SEF), which marked April 19th as the country’s “energy overshoot day”. After that point, the country relies entirely on imported energy—primarily fossil fuels and nuclear materials—to meet its needs. […]
A majority of Swiss favour of a single health insurer, according to poll
With health insurance premiums rising for the third consecutive year, Swiss voters are showing renewed interest in an old idea: replacing the country’s many competing health insurers with a single public insurer. According to a recent survey by GFS Bern, 53% of respondents support such a plan. Right now, any idea that promises to cut […]
Swiss Citizens’ Assembly backs sugar tax in health push
The Citizens’ Assembly, a group of citizens chosen at random to discuss and find common ground on contentious issues, has backed a proposal to introduce a tax on sugary foods and drinks as part of a broader push to improve public health in Switzerland. The measure is one of six reforms endorsed by the 100-member […]
Pensioners versus tenants: Zurich protests and Switzerland’s rental dilemma
Thousands took to the streets of Zurich recently to demand more affordable housing—and to air their frustration with an unlikely target: pension funds, reported SRF. Their complaint is not new but increasingly urgent. Switzerland’s pension funds are major players in the residential property market, owning around 44% of rental apartments nationwide—a sharp increase from just […]
Study shows link between education and Swiss oral health
Despite widespread access to dental services, pronounced disparities in oral health persist in Switzerland. These differences extend beyond hygiene habits and dental outcomes to the actual use of services, according to a recent study by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In 2022, over 70% of respondents rated the condition of their teeth and gums as […]
Upcoming vote puts Switzerland’s wealthy under the spotlight
Switzerland is a wealthy nation, but as elsewhere, wealth is not evenly distributed. According to SRF, nearly 400,000 Swiss residents have assets exceeding CHF 1 million. The richest 1% of taxpayers hold 45% of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom 62% own just 3%. The remaining 37% of taxpayers own the remaining 53%. To […]
Swiss court allows ingredient to restore Emmental’s holes
The holes in Emmental cheese—its most iconic feature—have become less frequent in recent years. High performance modern milking machines have reduced the number of hay particles that traditionally made their way into the milk used for making the cheese. Now, a Swiss court has allowed cheese makers to add hay particles and still comply with […]
Toblerone reclaims its Swiss identity
Since shifting part of its production to Slovakia in 2023, Toblerone has no longer qualified to claim it is Swiss made. The iconic Matterhorn vanished from its packaging, replaced by a generic peak. Now, its owner, the US multinational Mondelez, plans to reconnect the product with Switzerland, reported SRF. After losing the right in 2023 […]
No Swiss public transport price rises in 2026
Swiss public transport fares will remain unchanged in 2026, the umbrella organisation Alliance SwissPass announced on Wednesday. The decision, taken at its strategic council meeting on 4 April 2025, comes in response to a recent upturn in revenues. Despite ongoing financial pressures, fares will not rise when new timetables are introduced in December 2025, reported […]
Popular initiative calls for 18 weeks of leave for each new parent
A left-leaning alliance, with some support from the centre, has launched a popular initiative calling for a total of 36 weeks of parental leave – 18 weeks per parent – following the birth of a child, reported RTS. The proposal, published this week in the Federal Gazette, aims to replace the country’s current system of […]
