Switzerland requires all able bodied men to dedicate around a year of their time to military service. To remove the gender discrimination inherent in the current system, some have proposed compulsory universal public service for both young men and young women. This week, the Federal Council rejected the idea, which is set to be put […]
Swiss farmers protest at subsidy cuts
On Wednesday, farmers came together in Bern to protest against planned cuts to subsidies, reported RTS. Because of the way farming is structured in Switzerland, farmers are heavily reliant on the support of tax payers to make ends meet. The federal government, which is running and projecting fiscal deficits, has come up with ways to […]
New government private jet scheduled for 2025
The jet is used by the Federal Council, Switzerland’s cabinet, and made the news in 2021 after forced landings led to missed diplomatic meetings in Anji in China and Tokyo in Japan. This week, the delivery date for a new jet was announced, reported SRF. The current plane, a 23-year-old Cessna Citation Excel 560XL, will […]
EU rejects Swiss migration safeguard clause
Switzerland and the EU currently have an agreement that grants citizens freedom to live and work across Switzerland and the bloc. As part of a new agreement, Switzerland wanted a safeguard clause that would allow Switzerland to unilaterally impose permit quotas for a limited time. On 2 October 2024, the EU said it rejected the […]
Swiss parliament votes in favour of stricter asylum policy
On 24 September 2024, Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of several motions aimed at tightening asylum policy. These include moves to remove the right of temporarily admitted asylum seekers to bring their families, and tougher rules for Ukrainians in Switzerland with protection S status, reported SRF. The motion seeking to remove the right of temporarily […]
Swiss parliament agrees to extra 4 billion francs for army
This week, Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of spending an extra CHF 4 billion on the nation’s military, bringing annual military expenditure to 1% of GDP earlier than planned, reported RTS. The extra CHF 4 billion will bring the total budget to CHF 30 million spread across the period from 2025 to 2028. The Federal […]
Push for federal cuts faces revolt from cantons
Switzerland’s federal government is spending more money than it collects in taxes. This week, a federal commission set out options for spending cuts, reported SRF. The problem is than some of them would involve less federal money going to cantonal governments. Switzerland’s Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter hopes to break the deadlock around balancing the federal […]
Switzerland falls short of electric mobility objectives
This week, Switzerland’s federal government met with leaders in the electric mobility sector to discuss progress and set targets for 2030, reported RTS. It appears targets set for 2025 are unlikely to be reached. The last time targets were set they were aimed at 50% of new vehicle registrations being electric by 2025. However, with […]
Swiss homeowners association rejects government plan to charge all home owners for earthquakes
Last week, the government in Bern broadly supported a plan to force all property owners to contribute to the cost of earthquake repair. This week, a Swiss homeowners association rejected the idea, reported SRF. The government plan is a response to the attitude of many home owners towards insurance. Only 15% of buildings are insured […]
Swiss political finance transparency: Socialist Party gets most money
Switzerland has long discussed improving transparency in political party financing to increase trust in politics. In 2022, the canton of Schwyz led the way, introducing rules requiring parties to disclose how they finance their election campaigns. This week, the Federal Audit Office issued its first ever report on party finances. The report shows party revenues […]
