Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Walking next to the Rhone has been banned in the canton of Valais until Monday evening due to high water levels, reported RTS. High temperatures over the last few days have rapidly melted some of the unusually abundant snowfall in April and May 2024. In addition, there has been heavy rain. The combined effect of these two weather events has made the river dangerous. The risk has been assessed at 4 out of 5, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Similar warnings have been issued for Lake Constance in eastern Switzerland. In a town near Zermatt around…

The number of babies born in Switzerland fell to 80,024 in 2023, a birth rate of 1.33 per woman, reported RTS. As recently as 2021, 89,644 babies entered the world in Switzerland. Between 2021 and 2023, the number has fallen nearly 11%. In 2023, the fertility rate in Switzerland reached an historic low after trending down over the last decade. A doctor at a medical clinic in Geneva said a drop of around 20% over recent years can be observed across clinics in Geneva. She said there has been a fall in births across Switzerland, Europe and in countries such…

In 2023, total hours spent in traffic in Switzerland rose 22% compared to 2022, reaching an all time high, according to data from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO). Across the year, nearly 49,000 hours of traffic congestion were recorded on Switzerland’s motorways, expressways and third-class national roads, 22.4% more than the year before. These roads make up less than 3% of Switzerland’s road network but carry 45% of road traffic. Trucks, vans and other delivery vehicles did around 68% of their mileage on these roads. Nearly 90% of the nearly 49,000 lost hours were due to traffic congestion. Another 5%…

Cars are getting larger. Basel will be the first Swiss city to charge the drivers of large cars more for parking. It is also considering higher taxes for big vehicles, reported SRF. In Basel City space is tight and parking spaces are often difficult to find. To make better use of limited parking space the municipality plans parking fees based on vehicle length, making the city the first to implement such a move. Municipal officials argue that is unfair that someone with a Smart pays the same parking price as someone with a large SUV. On flights a big heavy…

This week, Switzerland’s Federal Council decided to cut CHF 35 off the compulsory annual fee households must pay for public television and radio. The fee will fall from CHF 335 to CHF 300 by 2029, reported RTS. The fee reduction will happen gradually, falling to CHF 312 in 2027 and then to CHF 300 in 2029. In addition, more companies will fall outside the criterion for paying the fee. The minimum annual turnover for qualifying will rise from CHF 500,000 to CHF 1.2 million. This will mean that around 80% of VAT registered companies will not need to pay. The…

Cryptocurrencies are part of the digital banking innovations that are here to stay amid the significant changes in the world of finance. Originally designed to let consumers control their money themselves, cryptocurrency technology has come a long way as it is now accepted by digital banks, hybrid financial firms, and even some traditional banking institutions. Somewhere between 2010 and 2020, bankers realized the unlimited potential of cryptocurrencies and decided to provide support for them via crypto trading markets. One of the pioneering forces in this crypto banking revolution is the digital bank founded by German billionaire and fintech visionary…

For many years, Eritrea has refused to take back citizens failing to qualify as refugees. This week, Switzerland’s parliament voted in favour of sending them to another African nation, reported SRF. This week, Petra Gössi (PLR/FDP) put forward a motion that calls on the Federal Council to conclude a transit agreement with a suitable third country. The motion referred to an unsigned agreement from 2003 with Senegal, which was supported by Gossi’s party then. Parliament voted 120 to 75 votes in favour of the motion. By taking a tougher stance, many of those in favour want to send a signal…

This week, Switzerland’s Green Party started collecting signatures to launch a referendum. The vote would ask voters whether to accept a plan to force those renovating or constructing a new building to install solar panels, reported RTS. The Green Party says there are enough roofs in Switzerland to ween the country off imported fossil fuel and to avoid resorting to nuclear power. Currently, only 10% of roofs are being used for solar power production. Nadine Masshardt, head of the Swiss energy foundation, an organisation supported by the Green and Socialist Parties and an anti-nuclear group, thinks solar output could be…

Every year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) compares the economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment of men and women across the world. The latest report, published on 14 June 2024, shows a shrinking gap between Swiss men and women. This year, Switzerland scored 0.785 and ranked 20th, up from 0.783 and a rank of 21st in 2023. The scores for educational attainment (0.992) and health and survival (0.964) were not far off perfect equality – 1.000 represents equality. However, scores for economic participation and opportunity (0.720) and political empowerment (0.464) showed large gaps. Switzerland’s…

On 9 June 2024, Swiss voters voted on four federal initiatives, two related to healthcare cost, one born in the Covid-19 era related to “physical and mental integrity”, and one on renewable electricity. The first asked voters whether to subsidise health insurance premiums based on income and the second whether to formally restrain healthcare spending. The third asked voters whether to accept a loosely defined plan aimed at ensuring that those refusing “invasions of physical and mental integrity” would not be treated any differently. The fourth asked voters whether or not to accept a government plan aimed at boosting the production…