Automakers around the world are preparing for the 85th Geneva Motor Show, which counts itself as one of the “top six” global motor shows. The show is open to the press from 3-4 March and the public from 5-15 March at the Palexpo Arena. 10,000 journalists from 103 countries and 670,000 people are expected to […]
Italy and Switzerland sign a deal to fight tax evasion
On 23 February 2015, Swiss Federal councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf and the Italian finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan signed a deal in Milan to fight tax evasion. This deal marks the end of years of controversy and brings the double taxation agreement (DTA) between the two countries into compliance with OECD standards, in particular the rules […]
Moms on Mars – in space you can hear no one scream
Dear organisers of the Mars One Mission (M.O.M.) It has recently come to my attention that you are planning to establish a human settlement on Mars, and I would really, really like to volunteer to be a part of it. You may wonder why I – a very tired 40-something mother of two small children […]
Why it’s hard to be a working mum in Switzerland
It is never easy being a working mum. In some countries it is harder than in others. According to a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Switzerland has room for improvement. Firstly, the OECD suggests increasing the availability of childcare and reducing its cost. Childcare costs in Switzerland are high, even relative […]
Swiss choose immigration quotas over EU bilaterals
Close to half of the Swiss polled in the recent Vimentis survey would chose to introduce immigration quotas even if it meant the cancelation of European Union (EU) bilateral treaties – 45% held this view. By contrast only 41% would put preservation of the EU bilateral treaties ahead of immigration quotas. 14% were undecided on […]
The real problem with whistleblowing
The recent chapter in the drama of the HSBC Geneva Swissleaks saga has brought whistle blowing back into the news. In this article Yasmine Motarjemi explains the real problem and what the world should focus on. The Council of Europe defines a “whistleblower” as anyone who reports or discloses information on a threat or harm […]
Chinese New Year 2015 – sheep, goat or ram?
Today is the first day of the 2015 Chinese New Year. This year the confusion of lunar and solar movements is combined with the ambiguities of the Chinese language and gives insight into the language and the challenges of international communication. The Chinese character yang refers to all animals in the Caprinae subfamily that includes […]
Surprise Swiss government deficit in 2014
The Swiss government announced that its 2014 results were in the red. Given that the Swiss put even the Germans to shame with their ability to balance their budget, what went wrong? This is the first time in almost a decade that this has happened. The shortfall was CHF 124 million. This came as a […]
Swiss unemployment linked to language and passport
The overall rate of Swiss unemployment climbed from 3.4% to 3.5% in January 2015 although it was steady when compared to the same time last year. There are however marked differences in rates of unemployment on a number of dimensions. The rate varies significantly by Canton. Neuchatel and Valais tied for the top spot at […]
This vegetable keeps ice off your windscreen
Frozen windscreen? Just how cool are all these winter coping tips? If you’re tired of having to scrape your icy windscreen each morning before setting off, then according to Swiss motoring association, TCS, just cut a potato in half and rub it over your windscreen. Then in your morning rush to get going you won’t […]
