Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

According to various media reports, the Federal Council has summoned Martin Schlegel, president of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), for talks. At issue are the bank’s interventions in currency markets, which the United States has long viewed with suspicion. A March 31st deadline set by Washington for concluding a trade agreement with Bern has come and gone without incident after a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, which struck down tariffs imposed since April 2025 by Donald Trump, altered the landscape. Even so, Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s economy minister, has played down the prospect of a swift deal.…

In March the index compiled by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) dropped by 12.5 points to –42.9, compared with February 2026. That marks a decline of 8.1 points from the same month a year earlier. The fall leaves sentiment at its weakest since early 2024. The downturn appears to reflect rising geopolitical uncertainty. The recent conflict in Iran is likely to have weighed heavily on households’ expectations, adding to a broader sense of economic unease. The deterioration was broad-based. Sub-indices tracking expectations for the economy, households’ future financial situation and the timing of major purchases all fell below…

The Swiss government has opened a consultation on a counter-proposal to a new popular initiative on corporate responsibility, arguing that companies should respect human rights and the environment without undermining their competitiveness. A previous initiative failed in 2020, winning a majority of voters but not of cantons. A watered-down counter-proposal came into force in 2022, requiring large firms to publish sustainability reports alongside their annual accounts. Campaigners say it has had little impact. In May 2025 they launched a second initiative, again seeking to make large companies liable if their foreign subsidiaries are involved in human-rights abuses or environmental damage.…

Avalanches swept away more people than usual in the winter of 2025–26, though the death toll remained broadly in line with the average. A fragile snowpack led to a surge in incidents. By the end of March, 244 people had been caught in 171 avalanches, according to the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. Over the past decade the averages were 182 people in 127 incidents. Yet fatalities, at 15, were typical. Thirty-seven people were completely buried. In most of the 13 fatal accidents, avalanches were triggered in weak layers of old snow. Avalanches involving people were recorded…

Six months after a decisive “yes” at the ballot box, the government has clarified how it will implement reforms to the taxation of residential property. It has consulted the Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors and concluded that cantons need adequate time to prepare for the transition. Mountain cantons had pushed for a later start, arguing that abolition should not take effect before 2030. To offset lost revenue, tourism-heavy cantons will be allowed to levy a tax on second homes. Yet these cantons now say such a tax is more complex—legally and politically—than suggested during the referendum campaign. In principle, the…

Let’s be honest, keeping up with healthy eating when your schedule is packed feels like a second job. Between early mornings, long commutes, and the eternal question of “what’s for dinner?”, it’s no wonder so many of us in Switzerland are looking for smarter ways to eat well without spending hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned meal prepper, a food blog enthusiast hunting for your next recipe obsession, or someone who just wants wholesome food delivered to your door, this guide is for you. We’re breaking down the best strategies from local foodie inspiration to efficient prep hacks…

A product made from oats cannot be labelled “milk”, says Federal Supreme Court. In the court’s view, the term applies only to what comes from an animal’s udder. The case centred on an oat drink sold by Danone under its Alpro brand in Swiss supermarkets such as Migros and Coop. Its packaging reads “Shhh… this is not milk”, with the “i” replaced by a droplet. The cantonal laboratory in Zurich, which tests food for contaminants, checks whether products are correctly labelled and investigates misleading claims or packaging, deemed this misleading. Authorities argued that consumers might confuse the product with cow’s…

Switzerland’s ban on chlorothalonil will remain in force, according to a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court published on Thursday. Judges dismissed an appeal by Syngenta, which had challenged the prohibition of fungicides containing the substance. The ban dates back to December 2019, when the Federal Office for Agriculture withdrew approval for plant-protection products based on chlorothalonil. The decision, which took effect on January 1st 2020, meant that existing stocks could no longer be sold. The concern was that the chemical can break down into potentially harmful metabolites that seep into groundwater and drinking water. Syngenta argued that these degradation…

This week, the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) launched what it hopes will be its political campaign of the year: an initiative to cap the population at 10m. Voters will decide on June 14th. Both the Federal Council and parliament oppose the plan and offer no counter-proposal. The idea is straightforward: Switzerland’s population, currently about 9m, should not exceed 10m by 2050. The Swiss People’s Party argues that anything beyond that would strain infrastructure, schools, healthcare, electricity supply and welfare systems. According to official projections, Switzerland could reach 10m inhabitants as early as 2040. Once the population passes 9.5m, the government…

Scientists at CERN have achieved a first: they have transported antimatter in a truck across the laboratory’s main site. The result marks a step towards shipping antiprotons to other European research centres. The team behind the BASE experiment trapped 92 antiprotons in a portable cryogenic device known as a Penning trap, disconnected it from its host apparatus, loaded it onto a truck and resumed operations after the journey. That is no small feat. Antimatter annihilates on contact with ordinary matter, making it notoriously hard to store, let alone move. The demonstration is a trial run. The longer-term goal is to…