A new report from Public Eye, a Swiss NGO, has drawn attention to the scale of personnel flows between the pharmaceutical industry and the country’s public health institutions. The investigation, published on Thursday, raises concerns over potential conflicts of interest and urges stronger safeguards to prevent corruption. The cushy transition between public office and private-sector […]
Switzerland approves Palestinian aid, but bypasses UNRWA in Gaza
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Council has approved a CHF 20 million ($24 million) aid package for Palestinians, while signalling mounting dissatisfaction with the UN’s embattled Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, reported SRF. Of the total, CHF 9 million will be directed to humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank. These funds will be channelled through […]
No compensation for Credit Suisse shareholders, Swiss court rules
A Swiss court has ruled that Credit Suisse shareholders will not be compensated for losses incurred during the bank’s forced sale to UBS in March 2023, reported RTS. The Federal Supreme Court dismissed a claim brought by two small investors who had purchased nearly CHF 85,000 ($100,000) worth of Credit Suisse shares just days before […]
Swiss parliament backs new childcare allowance
This week, Switzerland’s National Council (parliament) approved a new framework for supporting childcare through an allowance scheme targeting parents with children up to the age of eight, reported RTS. While the proposal largely mirrors the version endorsed by the Council of States, notable differences remain—chiefly regarding the role of the federal government. Under the plan, […]
Swiss parliament chooses compromise on individual taxation
Switzerland moved a step closer to scrapping its so-called marriage tax penalty, a work in progress for around 25 years. This week, the National Council endorsed a compromise proposal for individual taxation, reported SRF. The reform—long sought by proponents of tax equity and gender equality—aims to align the tax system with modern household structures where […]
City of Bern closes experimental bilingual school
Many mistake Switzerland as a nation of polyglots who speak all of the nation’s three main languages fluently. However, German won’t get a visitor very far in Geneva and nor will French in Zurich. At the same time a political imperative to raise multilingualism remains widespread. This week, the closure of an experimental bilingual school […]
Germany tightening borders raises ire in Switzerland
This week, Germany’s new government announced a sharp tightening of its immigration policy, reported RTS. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt declared that most undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, would be denied entry, with the exception of vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women. The plan also includes expanded border controls. Switzerland, which shares […]
Swiss digital surveillance plan heavily criticised
A proposed revision to Switzerland’s digital surveillance regulations has met with broad political and industry backlash, reported RTS. Critics say the draft, put forward by the Federal Council, threatens data privacy, allows disproportionate state intervention, and could undermine the country’s reputation as an innovation hub. In a consultation process that concluded on Tuesday, parties across […]
Switzerland criticised for curbs on the right to protest
This week, Amnesty International warned of a steady erosion of the right to protest in Switzerland. Once a central bulwark against injustice and arbitrary power, the freedom of assembly, the organisation argued, must be robustly defended—particularly amid a global surge in authoritarianism. In its annual report published on Tuesday, the human-rights group criticised several recent […]
US wants to prioritise trade negotiations with Switzerland
Karin Keller-Sutter, Switzerland’s president and finance minister, met Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, in Washington on Thursday for what she described as a productive exchange. The two discussed ways to strengthen economic collaboration between their countries, reported RTS. Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States is seeking a swift resolution to […]
