The cost of healthcare and the compulsory insurance residents must pay to fund it continue to rise. In 2022, healthcare spending rose 2.5%. At the same time, dental care is not covered. Politicians from the Green Party would like it included in basic cover. However, parliament voted against the idea this week, reported RTS. The […]
Swiss one step closer to vote on neutrality
This week, a group calling themselves the Pro Switzerland Group, announced it had collected 133,000 signatures, a number comfortably above the 100,000 needed to call a referendum, reported SRF. The group wants to ask voters whether they want the nation’s neutrality to be strictly set out in Switzerland’s constitution. The initiative calls for a constitutional […]
Swiss government surprised by ECHR climate change ruling
This week, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled the Swiss government violated the Human Rights Convention on climate change in a case brought by a climate organisation and four Swiss women claiming to be victims of insufficiently mitigated climate change. Eight years ago, a group of Swiss senior citizens, known as the Climate […]
Switzerland plans 5 billion franc contribution to rebuild Ukraine
The World Bank estimates CHF 440 billion (US$ 486 billion) will be needed to rebuild Ukraine. Switzerland has so far spent around CHF 3 billion helping Ukraine and its residents since the Russian attack began. This week, the Federal Council announced a plan to provide a further CHF 5 billion to rebuild the country between […]
Federal Council rejects anti-fur and anti-fois gras initiatives
Switzerland’s Federal Council, or cabinet, announced this week that it does not support two initiatives aimed at banning the importation into Switzerland of fois gras and fur products produced cruelly. In December 2023, the Swiss Animal Alliance submitted the two popular initiatives, one aimed at banning the import of foie gras and one aimed at […]
Study shows how Swiss doctors and hospitals overcharge
A new study suggests that doctors and hospitals are overcharging by more than one billion francs every year, reported SRF. Some in the medical profession have questioned the sum, which came from doctoral research done by Larisa Petrov. Petrov is a lawyer and head of legal at the consulting firm Blacklight Analytics. She did the […]
Swiss court makes asylum harder for Afghan refugee women
Since western forces withdrew from Afghanistan life has become increasingly difficult many living there, especially women, who are subjected to a strict dress code and restrictive rules that prevent them from studying, working and travelling alone. These restrictions make it very difficult for women to travel. Asylum in Switzerland can only be sought on arrival, […]
Swiss cantons with the highest population growth
By the end of 2023, Switzerland’s population had swelled by 145,000 to 8.96 million, according to figures published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. The recent annual rise in numbers (+1.6%) was exceptionally high because of the roughly 50,000 Ukrainians who were counted as residents for the first time in 2023. The population […]
Federal Council rejects initiative against compulsory vaccination
This week, the Federal Council recommended voters vote no in the referendum known as the stop compulsory vaccination initiative, scheduled for 9 June 2024, reported SRF. A key criticism of the initiative is that it could make applying and enforcing the law difficult. If it was accepted the consequences would be uncertain for the work […]
Health care cost brake initiative to go to a vote
This week, a government proposal presented as an alternative to a referendum aimed at limiting healthcare costs was rejected by initiative organisers. This means the question will be put to voters. The initiative, which is supported by the Centre Party, would require actors in the healthcare system to agree on cost-cutting measures if healthcare costs […]
