Switzerland’s federal government ended 2025 in the black, recording a surplus of CHF 300m, despite having forecast a deficit of CHF 800m. The result is CHF 1.1bn better than expected. Even so, the Federal Council insists that its planned austerity … [Read more...]
News and Features
How eight remarkable Ghanaian women began a soil revolution
Scott Poynton, a forester based near Nyon in the canton of Vaud, spent last Wednesday in unusual company. In northern Ghana he met eight women who had taken their livelihoods firmly into their own hands. Impressed by their initiative, he later dubbed … [Read more...]
Political polarisation on the rise in Switzerland since 1990
Political polarisation has become a hallmark of many democracies, as parties harden their positions and voters sort into rival camps. Switzerland, long regarded as a model of consensus politics, has not escaped the trend. Signs of strain have been … [Read more...]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read more...]
Swiss finance minister defends austerity despite surprise surplus in 2025
Switzerland’s federal government closed 2025 with a financing surplus of CHF 0.3bn, rather than the CHF 0.8bn deficit forecast in the budget. The improvement of more than CHF 1bn was largely due to temporary additional tax revenue from the canton of … [Read more...]
Guides
10-step guide to hiring an employee in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.business. For startups and small companies, hiring and onboarding new employees can be a real hassle. In Switzerland especially, there is a significant amount of admin to deal with. The following is a guide to all the … [Read More...]
8 things you must do if you’re running a Swiss business
Brought to you by Winbiz online accounting for Swiss businesses. Once a business is established, there are many ongoing administrative tasks required by law. The main ones are covered in this article. The first few relate to employees and … [Read More...]
Activities
Places to go for early season skiing in Switzerland
Mention skiing in November and it is likely to draw blank expressions, or comments like: "It’s too early, there will be no snow". While this is true for some resorts not all ski domains were created equal. A recent study shows that in 2015, snow … [Read more...]
Why you should visit the Gianadda gallery in Martigny
Gianadda, that spectacular cultural centre in Martigny, specializes in exhibitions you want to wander round more than once. Its latest show – Hodler, Monet, Munch: painting the impossible (3 February to 11 June 2017) – also lives up to the … [Read more...]
New exhibition opens at Lausanne’s Olympic Museum – We are Olympians, and You?
The latest exhibition at Lausanne’s Olympic Museum is all about the athletes and their stories. And while their record-breaking exploits might be difficult to relate to, the human stories of passion, heartbreak and solidarity that lie behind them, … [Read more...]
