Switzerland’s National Council has voted to outlaw firecrackers, backing a parliamentary counter-proposal to a popular initiative that seeks tighter limits on fireworks, reported SRF. The measure passed by 97 votes to 85. The use of fireworks and their harmful effects will be regulated under the country’s explosives law. The popular initiative, launched by animal-welfare groups, […]
Switzerland moves to tighten asylum policy
Parliament has approved two Liberal Democrat (PLR/FDP) motions aimed at tightening Switzerland’s asylum regime, reported RTS. The first seeks to encourage the voluntary departure of asylum seekers. The Council of States silently endorsed a National Council motion instructing the Federal Council to introduce a system of targeted incentives and clearly defined sanctions. One element would […]
Swiss parliament scraps funding for the Basel–Malmö night train
Switzerland’s parliament has pulled the plug on funding for a planned night train linking Basel with Malmö in southern Sweden, reported RTS. After the Council of States rejected the proposal, the National Council followed suit on Tuesday, striking the CHF 10m needed to launch the service from the 2026 budget. The margin was narrow: 99 […]
Switzerland to tighten rules on military service for dual nationals
Switzerland’s parliament has voted to make it harder for dual nationals to sidestep the country’s military obligations, reported RTS. On Wednesday the National Council adopted, in amended form, a motion already approved by the upper house. It will now return to the Council of States, Switzerland’s parliament, for further consideration. The original proposal, put forward […]
Switzerland moves ahead with first phase of its F-35 purchase
Switzerland has signed a first contract with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of eight F-35 fighter jets, marking the first concrete step in its long-planned rearmament programme, reported RTS. The agreement, signed on September 29th, was confirmed this week by Armasuisse, the federal procurement agency. Two further contracts, covering the remaining 28 aircraft, are still […]
Switzerland leads much of rich world in integrating immigrants, says the OECD
Immigrants are more successfully integrated into Switzerland’s labour market than in most other rich countries, according to a study commissioned by the State Secretariat for Migration. At 77%, the employment rate among immigrants in Switzerland is well above the OECD average across its 38 member states, which include Germany, France, Britain and the United States. […]
Swiss government weighs VAT hike to fund army
Switzerland’s government is weighing a rise in value-added tax to help fund a rapid expansion of the armed forces, reported RTS. According to the Tages-Anzeiger, the proposal—an increase of 0.5 percentage points—was floated by Martin Pfister, the defence minister, amid growing anxiety about Europe’s security and the risk of further Russian aggression. Pfister argues that […]
A new battle over the veil in Swiss schools
A campaign to ban the Islamic headscarf from all public schools has resurfaced in Switzerland, pushing a local controversy onto the national stage. On Monday a right-leaning group linked to the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) submitted a petition in Bern bearing 12,000 signatures, reported RTS. The petition follows a heated debate that began last summer […]
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, has died
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, Switzerland’s best-known assisted-dying organisation, has died. He took his own life on November 29th, just days short of his 93rd birthday. Once a correspondent for the magazine Der Spiegel from 1964 to 1974, Mr Minelli turned to law in 1977, enrolling at the University of Zurich. He earned his […]
Swiss voters deliver a double “no” on inheritance tax on super rich and universal civic service
On 30 November 2025 the Swiss electorate decisively rejected two headline proposals: a sweeping federal inheritance and gift tax for the super-rich, and a scheme to make civic service mandatory for all citizens. The inheritance-tax measure — a 50% levy on estates and gifts above CHF 50 million — was turned down by 78% of […]
