In Switzerland, basic welfare payments are only paid once an individual has spent almost all of their wealth supporting themselves. These requirements apply to everyone but are typically irrelevant for most refugees, who arrive in Switzerland with next to nothing. However, many arriving from Ukraine, a lower-middle income country, have wealth exceeding the limit, most […]
66 percent of Swiss angered by Credit Suisse-UBS merger
The rapidly agreed plan hatched behind closed doors last weekend to merge Switzerland’s two largest banks has sparked widespread anger across Switzerland. A poll published this week showed that 66% of Swiss surveyed were either very (37%) or fairly (29%) angry about the merger, reported RTS. Late last week, a crisis in investor confidence in […]
Swiss court rejects case of soldiers fired for refusing Covid vaccine
On 23 March 2023, the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, rejected a case against the Swiss Army brought by four former special forces soldiers who were fired for refusing to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. The four military professionals were fired during autumn 2021 by operational command because they were not vaccinated against Covid-19 […]
Swiss Uber drivers not self-employed says court
On 22 March 2023, the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, decided that Uber drivers are employees and the companies that employ them must deduct and pay social security taxes, according to a press release. The decision concerns drivers for UberX, UberBlack, UberVan and UberPop working for Uber B.V. and Rasier Operations B.V. and the money […]
Swiss Green Party slides most in latest election poll
On 22 October 2023, Switzerland will hold its four-yearly parliamentary federal election. A poll published on 23 March 2023 suggests the biggest loser, compared to the last vote in 2019, could be the Green Party. The Swiss People’s Party (26.6%) and Socialist Party (17.8%), which continued to lead the poll, both progressed by 1 percentage […]
Removal of marriage tax penalty fails to find broad party support
Married couples in Switzerland are taxed together on their combined income, something that is not applied to unmarried couples who are taxed individually. This often acts as a tax disincentive for one member of a married couple to work, disproportionately affecting women. Politicians and organisations focused on improving women’s career chances would like to see […]
Swiss government confirms first underlying deficit since 2005
On 15 February 2023, Switzerland’s federal government published finalised figures showing it spent CHF 4.3 billion more than it received in 2022. Excluding extraordinary expenses related to the Covid pandemic left an underlying operating deficit of CHF 1.9 billion, the first shortfall of this kind since 2005. Switzerland’s federal government is required to operate under […]
Switzerland remains in top 10 most democratic countries
On 1 February 2023, The Economist Intelligence Unit published its annual report on democracy around the world. During 2022, Switzerland rose to 7th place, up from 10th in 2021. The average global index score stagnated in 2022. Despite expectations of a rebound after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, the score was almost unchanged, at 5.29 […]
Corruption report: nepotism and conflicts of interest should be Switzerland’s focus
The 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published on 31 January 2023, shows that most countries are failing to stop corruption. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average remains unchanged […]
Corona leaks – Swiss minister denies knowing of leak
Earlier in January 2023, the newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende alleged repeated communication took place between a member of Switzerland’s interior ministry and the media group Ringier during the Covid pandemic. Since then accusations have been directed at Alain Berset, the minister in charge of the department, reported RTS. The information allegedly shared allowed the newspaper […]
