Swiss animal rights activists recently handed a petition to members of parliament demanding a ban on eating cats and dogs, a custom still practised by hundreds of thousands of Swiss people. According to the activist group, up to three per cent of Swiss secretly eat the animals, especially in the regions of Lucerne, Appenzell, Jura […]
Meet the new President
Switzerland’s parliament has re-elected Social Democrat, Simonetta Sommaruga (54) to the Federal Council to become the new President of Switzerland. She received 181 votes (well over 80%) in Wednesday’s parliamentary vote in Bern. She replaces Didier Burkhalter, the Foreign Minister. Sommaruga was first elected to the seven-strong cabinet in 2010 where she took over the […]
You are being fleeced: “Reputable” foreign companies taking money off Swiss consumers
Many supposedly reputable foreign companies are taking Swiss consumers to the cleaners. Their marketing is masterful in its obfuscation. Some recent product launches exemplify how such companies seek to make excessive profits by charging “Swiss prices” when they have no need to, and how they abuse consumers’ trust here. Netflix, the US-based video on demand […]
Clos du Brûle-Fer Johannisberg AOC Valais 2013
Clos du Brûle-Fer Johannisberg AOC Valais 2013 In Valais Johannisberg is the second most widely planted white grape variety after Chasselas. It is also known as Sylvaner and Rhin in the French speaking part of Valais and Grüner Silvaner, in the German speaking part. Its origins however are somewhat of a mystery. Some say it […]
Surprising consensus on Ecopop’s destructively negative consequences
UBS, Switzerland’s leading bank, says that it is proving difficult to determine the precise impact anti-migration initiatives could have both on the economy and the country’s relations with the European Union. Nevertheless, the bank did not mince words by stating that not only was the 9 February vote to restrict mass immigration from the EU […]
US Elections: What does the Republican victory mean for Switzerland?
It is often joked that the election of a US president should be the responsibility of voters world-wide, regardless of nationality. Any presidential decision in Washington, whether to send troops to contend with Ebola in West Africa, or to start a new war in Afghanistan or Iraq, tends to affect the planet as a whole. […]
Swiss environmental group, Ecopop calls for birth control boost
On 30 November, Switzerland’s voters will decide whether to pass a controversial amendment put forth by Ecopop, a group of Swiss environmentalists. The initiative calls for boosting birth control in developing countries as a way to curb immigration, which according to the group shouldn’t exceed 0.2 per cent of the Swiss population over three years. […]
