On 8 March 2023, a case was brought against the boss and three employees of the Zurich office of Gazprombank in a Zurich court. The four face charges of alleged money laundering that may be linked to Russian president Vladimir Putin, reported RTS. The case has garnered international interest as it may provide insights into […]
Gruyère cheese can be made in America, rules US court
In Europe, Gruyère, the name of a cheese and a small picturesque Swiss town (Gruyères), is legally reserved for specific cheeses from parts of Switzerland and France made to strict recipes. However, in the US it is also applied loosely to a type of cheese that differs from the Swiss and French originals. European producers […]
Ticks and lyme disease – it’s time to be careful
As the weather warms ticks emerge in their tiny nymph form. These small blood sucking insects carry diseases, bad ones. April, May, June, July and August are when most people get infected, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Ticks become active when the temperature reaches 7 degrees. In 2023, they have started […]
Swiss government approves more money for childcare
This week, the federal government voted in favour of providing more money to parents for childcare, reported RTS. Parliament voted 107 versus 79 in favour of higher subsidies for childcare up to the end of primary school. The federal government is funding the creation of extra capacity in nurseries and other childcare facilities. Valérie Piller […]
Paid antenatal leave rejected by Swiss government
On 1 March 2023, Switzerland’s parliament rejected a plan to provide three weeks of paid antenatal leave, reported RTS. Parliament rejected the idea put forward by the Socialist Party by 107 votes to 73. According to those behind the plan, Switzerland is the only European nation that doesn’t offer paid antenatal leave. Those opposed to […]
Dry winter could lead to summer drought in Switzerland
Across much of Switzerland there has been almost no rain or snow for more than a month. A Swiss hydrologist thinks it’s time to start thinking about conserving water, reported RTS. This winter has seen much less precipitation than normal, leaving experts concerned about the level of ground water across the country. Although the current […]
Why Swiss home construction is falling despite higher demand and higher rents
With Swiss rents high and rising it should follow that more would be invested in building new homes. However, that isn’t the case. The newspaper Blick asks experts why. As rents rise landlords should stand to make more from their investments. Many are also quick to assume that higher rents mean landlords are making excessive […]
Switzerland’s rent rate comes close to rising
Four times a year the rate of interest used to set the rents in Switzerland is reviewed. If the aggregate average mortgage rate goes down some renters can request lower rent. If it goes up some landlords can raise rents. This time the rate remained at 1.25%, however it was close to moving to 1.5%. […]
Call to raise minimum language requirement for citizenship in Swiss canton
What level of language mastery should be required to become Swiss? Members of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) in the canton of Zug have decided the current language requirements for naturalisation in the canton are too low, so the party has put forward a motion to raise them, reported Blick. Who gets to become Swiss […]
Swiss government backtracks on pension increase
In December 2022, parliament sent a recommendation to the Federal Council to increase state pensions by the rate of inflation. However, this week a parliamentary majority voted not to, reported RTS. The Federal Council had already boosted state pensions by 2.5% from 1 January 2023 before calls were made to bump them up by 2.8% […]
