Author: switzerlandtimes.ch
In 2023, Switzerland slipped one place in the EIU democracy ranking to eight place behind Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland. Overall, only 24 (14%) out of the 167 nations surveyed were classified as full democracies. The relatively small populations of these flag bearers of democracy means only 8% of the global population lives in a fully functioning democracy. Nearly 55% of the world lives under authoritarian or hybrid rule, which includes large nations such as China and Russia and nearly all of the Middle East and much of Africa. A further 38% of the global population…
On 8 February 2023, a man armed with an axe, a hammer and a knife held 13 people hostage on a train near the Swiss town of Yverdon-les-Bains, reported RTS. The man, an asylum seeker from Iran, was initially tasered by police as he ran towards them armed. After failing to stop he was fatally shot by another officer. The incident started at around 18:35 on a train between the towns of Yverdon-las-Bains and Baulmes and ended with a police intervention at 22:15. The hostages included 12 passengers and train engineer. None of them were hurt according to a police…
The number of people unemployed in Switzerland rose by more than most economists expected in January 2024. The rate at the end of January rose to 2.5%, up from 2.3% at the end of 2023, reported the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). A group of economists predicted it would be between 2.2% to 2.5%, placing the actual figure at the top end of expectations. However, the rate remains low by historical standards. And some of the month-on-month increase can be explained by typical seasonal variations, reported SECO. There is less work in construction, agriculture and the catering industry in…
Voting papers for the next lot of referenda are long in Geneva. A total of 10 questions on seven subjects will be put to voters. In addition to the two votes on state pensions (one to spend more, one to spend less), there will be questions on a monster building development, the minimum number of signatures required to hold cantonal and municipal referenda, extending the signature collection deadline during easter, halving car tax, and officially recognising Geneva’s unofficial anthem written in the local, but largely unused, dialect. The Praille-Acacias-Vernets (PAV) urban development project is a new district southwest of the…
This week, a survey was published setting out issues of greatest concern to the Swiss public. The five biggest issues cited by the Swiss population are of a monetary nature. Economic concerns haverisen, leaving issues such as climate change in sixth place. The top concern is healthcare costs and health insurance premiums. 41.8% were worried about this. This is the leading concern across all age groups, including those under 30 who are typically less worried about the issue. In second place, up from 5th last year, is the cost housing. This was listed by 33.4% of those surveyed. This is…
Swiss voters will be presented with four questions on 9 June 2024, announced the administration this week. According to RTS the four votes are on two initiatives on health insurance premiums, one on laws related to green energy and one on vaccinations. The Socialist Party gathered enough signatures for a vote on its 10% initiative, which calls for the government to subsidise the health insurance premiums of anyone paying in excess of 10% of their income on premiums. And they want the federal government to foot two thirds of the bill – the Federal Council wants cantons to cover more…
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Purchasing power has been hit much less in Switzerland than in other European nations. Between 2020 and 2023 food prices went up 6% in Switzerland. The same figure in Germany (+17%), UK (+40%) and Estonia (+43%) is much higher. At the same time, big ticket items like health insurance and rent have made a big dent in Swiss budgets. These more visible prices rises have created a perception that overall costs have risen more than they actually have. This perception has led the population to cut back on spending. The most popular cut back has been spending on going out…
Changes to Swiss law on renting recently passed by parliament have met with public resistance. This week, enough signatures were collected to trigger a vote aimed at overturning the work of parliament on rental law reform, according to RTS. The two changes, which would make it easier for landlords to move into their own properties and require written approval to sublet, are viewed by some as a cynical move to weaken the hand of tenants. A representative of the group organising the referendum described the changes as a frontal attack by the real estate lobby on tenancy law. Last year,…
This week, the referendum roster was announced for 3 March 2023. There will two votes on Switzerland’s state pension system. One aims to tackle the impending funding crisis by extending the retirement age, and the other aims to alleviate old age poverty by increasing payments without a plan to pay for it. The first would raise the retirement age by one year to 66 by 2032 and then link it to life expectancy beyond that date. If life expectancy rises by one year then the retirement age would rise by 0.8 years. While the proposal is structured around dealing with…