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 […]
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 […]
Cuts in Swiss bureaucracy could save 30 billion a year
Swiss business and farming groups are stepping up calls for a rollback of red tape, warning that an expanding regulatory burden is stifling productivity just as labour shortages intensify. They are urging the Federal Council and parliament to act before the end of the current legislative term. At a press conference in Bern, economiesuisse, the […]
Majority of Swiss favour recognising Palestine as a state
A majority of Swiss voters would favour recognising Palestine as a sovereign state, according to a new survey by the polling institute Sotomo. Some 57% of respondents said they were in favour, or somewhat in favour, of such a move, reported RTS. Support cuts across age groups, education levels, linguistic regions and gender. It is […]
Corruption complaint filed against Swiss executives over gifts to Trump
Two Swiss Green Party lawmakers have filed a criminal complaint for suspected corruption against a group of Swiss business leaders who presented luxury gifts—including a Rolex clock and a one-kilogram gold bar—to Donald Trump during recent trade talks in Washington, reported RTS. The complaint, submitted to the federal prosecutor by Raphaël Mahaim and Greta Gysin, […]
Swiss government rejects bid to force mandatory referendum on EU accords
The Swiss government has rejected the so-called “Compass” Initiative, which seeks to subject the planned package of agreements with the European Union to a mandatory vote of both the people and the cantons. The Federal Council ruled out the proposal this week and declined to offer a counter-project. Formally titled: For direct democracy and the […]
Swiss journalists face rising hostility, study finds
Six in ten Swiss media professionals encountered insults or hate speech last year, according to the first systematic study of journalists’ safety in the country. The research, by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), paints a picture of a profession increasingly exposed to harassment. Eleven per cent of respondents reported physical (19%) or verbal […]
Swiss soldiers may soon take ammunition home again
Swiss soldiers may soon be allowed to keep ammunition at home once more. The Security Policy Committee of the Council of States has voted, by seven to five, to instruct the Federal Council to prepare for the reintroduction of so-called pocket ammunition, citing Europe’s deteriorating security environment, reported SRF. For decades Switzerland raised eyebrows abroad […]
