More than half of the Swiss surveyed recently described 2022 and good or fairly good, reported RTS. At the same time, 15% described the year as bad or very bad. The remaining 26% were neutral. The survey, run by Link, interviewed 1,238 people of all ages across Switzerland. In addition to questions on views of […]
99 percent of Swiss sirens pass this year’s tests
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it was done on 1 February 2021 at 13:30. The same day Switzerland’s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) announced that 99% of fixed sirens were functioning. Cantons and municipalities are required to fix or replace the […]
Swiss Federal Council’s theme and photo for 2023
Every year, Switzerland’s Federal Council publishes a photograph reflecting the theme for the year. This year’s theme is working well together despite differing points of view. Federal Councillor Alain Berset, this year’s president, wants the picture taken by Vaud photographer Matthieu Gafsou to show that the members of the Federal Council can work well together […]
What do Swiss eat on new year’s eve? Language matters.
On new year’s eve the Swiss traditionally serve an alpine version of a Chinese hot pot, which consists of meats and vegetables cooked in a large pot of hot broth. Like cheese fondu those around the table share a pot, but instead of forks armed with bread or potato, diners are equipped with small wire […]
Swiss fondu gets its own trademark
The Swiss cheese fondu “moitié-moitié”, which means half-half in English, will soon have its own figurative trademark, reports RTS. On 16 November 2022, the cheese producers’ association in the canton of Fribourg announced that it had applied for a trademark for the well-known “moitié-moitié” cheese fondu, which is made up of a 50/50 mix of […]
Trust in neighbours high in Switzerland, according to survey
A survey published this week shows high levels of trust and generosity towards neighbours in Switzerland. Published by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, an offshoot of Migros, the survey reported that three quarters of those surveyed felt very safe where they lived and practically no one reported being dissatisfied with their relationships with their neighbours. 67% […]
Switzerland unwelcoming to expats, shows survey
A survey of expats published on 12 July 2022 ranks Switzerland 43rd out of 52 nations on ease of settling in. The definition of an expat is based on the sample used in the Expat Insider 2022 survey. This group was 46 years old on average, more female (52%) than male (47%), most likely to […]
Geneva terraces to close at midnight from 1 June
Outdoor diners and drinkers in Geneva will soon need to move inside at midnight under new rules aimed at cutting nighttime noise in the city, reported the newspaper 20 Minutes. The rule, to be introduced on 1 June 2022, will apply from Sunday until Thursday. On Fridays and Saturdays outdoor dining and drinking will be […]
Pilot glides from Swiss Jura to southern England
On 1 May 2022, pilot Yves Gerster glided 516km from the Jura mountain range in Switzerland all the way to Lasham in the south of England. Gerster took off from Courtelary at 7:35 am and landed in Lasham at 4:44 pm, a little over 9 hours later, according to the website weglide.org. During the first […]
Swiss government supports wider definition of rape
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Council agreed that Switzerland’s legal definition of rape should be extended, reported RTS. Currently, Swiss law defines rape as vaginal penetration by a man where the woman has resisted, a narrow definition that excludes male victims and cases where a woman has not resisted, for example in cases where resisting would […]
