Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Artificial intelligence is not only consuming attention—it is also consuming electricity and water. A surge in AI activity has driven up demand for data-centre capacity across Europe, and the Swiss are increasingly uneasy about its environmental cost. More than 15 new data centres are under construction in Switzerland, many built to serve the growing demands of artificial intelligence. With over 120 facilities already in operation, the country now has one of the highest concentrations of data centres per person in Europe. A survey commissioned by AlgorithmWatch CH and partner organisations in five European countries shows that most Swiss respondents worry…

Switzerland’s biggest party, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), has denounced the government’s proposed package of new agreements with the European Union as a colonial treaty that would undermine the country’s sovereignty and direct democracy, reported RTS. The party wants the agreements rejected both by parliament and in a future referendum. The package, which aims to stabilise and deepen bilateral relations with the EU, includes one general agreement and three sectoral ones covering food security, electricity, and health policy. The Federal Council intends to submit the deal to a popular vote only, as it did with the earlier Bilateral I…

This week, five of the seven of the pro-Palestinian activists accused of taking part in an unauthorised demonstration after they occupied the main hall of ETH Zurich on May 31st, 2024 were convicted of trespassing by the Zurich District Court, reported SRF. Two others, in a separate trial, were cleared after judges found that no valid criminal charges had been filed against them. The five convicted activists received suspended fines ranging from 20 to 30 daily rates of 30 to 60 Swiss francs, each with a two-year probation period. “ETH Zurich has the right to control its premises. This right…

By Bill Harby What exactly is the alpine descent or désalpe / alpabzug? This article explores the event’s history and where to see it. In Switzerland, we know the clock will soon strike autumn when processions of cows crowned with flowers and hung with huge clanging bells, descend from summer alpine pastures to their winter barns before the snows come. Led by cowherds and children dressed in embroidered traditional jackets and dresses, the colorfully bedecked dairy cows come by mountain trails to village streets, where people greet the colorful parades. Désalpes Crans Montana This end-of-summer tradition, known as the Désalpes…

Retail workers in Switzerland are pushing back against plans to allow stores to open on up to 12 Sundays a year, up from the current four. A petition opposing the proposal was submitted to the Federal Chancellery in Bern on Thursday, backed by the unions Unia and Syna, which argue the change would worsen already fragile working conditions in retail. The sector employs around 230,000 full-time equivalent staff nationwide. According to the unions, the proposal not only undermines labour standards but also runs against public sentiment. This is not just about shop staff rejecting a 24-hour society—the general public does…

Comparing mobile networks was made easier this week. Swiss student Leutrim Shallti has built a website —carteantennesuisse.ch—that pinpoints every 3G, 4G and 5G antenna in the country. Consumers can now check whether operators’ marketing boasts match reality. Shallti is no telecom engineer— he is a psychology student who studies electronics for three years prior. Yet his map lists the operator, technology, emission direction and frequencies for each mast. If Salt tells you it has 5G coverage in your region, you usually have to take its word for it, he told RTS. With this map you can check for yourself, and…

Support for scrapping Switzerland’s imputed rent, a fictional rent added to home owners’ taxable income, looks to be fading, reported SRF. A poll by GFS Bern for the public broadcaster SRG suggests that, had the vote been held in early September, 51% of respondents would have backed abolition. That is down sharply from earlier surveys, with rejection rising by 12 percentage points. The “no” camp now has the momentum. The upcoming vote is aimed at allowing a tax on second homes, a precursor to abolishing imputed rent. Headwinds come chiefly from tenants and from French-speaking Switzerland, where scepticism has hardened.…

Switzerland’s federal government must save CHF 2.4 billion in 2027 and CHF 3 billion in both 2028 and 2029. On Friday the Federal Council sent its austerity plan to parliament, reported RTS. The Council of States will debate it in the winter session; the National Council will follow in the spring. The country’s public finances are a mess. For years spending has risen faster than revenues, which are forecast to hit CHF 98 billion by 2029. Despite earlier belt-tightening in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, structural deficits of more than CHF 2 billion are expected to reappear in 2027, widening…

Most Swiss are not keen on blanket 30km/h limits in urban areas. A new poll by YouGov, commissioned by the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), finds that nearly two-thirds of respondents oppose extending the lower limit to all urban roads. Three-quarters favour the current mixed regime: 50km/h as the rule, with 30km/h zones applied case by case. The roll out of 30 km/h zones has been rapid in Switzerland. A key argument has been noise, which has spurred some municipalities to introduce night-time only bans on driving above 30 km/h, even on key urban thoroughfares. Support for selective limits is broad.…

Swiss households on average will pay a little less for electricity next year—but the relief will be uneven. Average tariffs will fall by 4% in 2026, after a 10% drop this year, according to ElCom, the federal electricity regulator. For a household using 4,500kWh annually, that means a saving of around CHF 58. Beneath the average lie sharp regional contrasts. In La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel, customers of Viteos will see prices tumble by 15%, bringing them level with those of Groupe E, the other big local supplier, which is cutting by 5%. Lausanne will enjoy a 12% drop. Elsewhere, declines…