Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Switzerland’s cantonal vehicle inspection authorities are struggling to keep up with the country’s growing vehicle fleet. As a result, more than 600,000 vehicles currently on Swiss roads have missed their mandatory roadworthiness tests by over a year, according to data from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), reported RTS. Under Swiss regulations, new vehicles must undergo a technical inspection after five years, followed by a second check three years later, and then biennially. But many cantonal offices are overwhelmed and increasingly unable to meet these deadlines. The backlog has grown steadily in recent years. Nationally, 9.27% of vehicles are over a…

Men and women in Switzerland are far from equal when it comes to health. On average, men die nearly four years before women and are more likely to be overweight. And women are more likely to suffer from chronic illness and depression, according to the 2022 Swiss Health Survey published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. The disparities stem not only from biology but also from how we live, noted the FSO. Women in Switzerland continue to outlive men—life expectancy at birth is 3.8 years higher—but they spend most of the extra time in poor health—the gap in…

A new report from Public Eye, a Swiss NGO, has drawn attention to the scale of personnel flows between the pharmaceutical industry and the country’s public health institutions. The investigation, published on Thursday, raises concerns over potential conflicts of interest and urges stronger safeguards to prevent corruption. The cushy transition between public office and private-sector posts is not new, acknowledges Public Eye. But the report, produced with the help of the research collective WAV, claims to be the first to quantify the extent of job-hopping between pharmaceutical firms, Swissmedic (the national medicines regulator), and the Federal Office of Public Health…

A Swiss court has ruled that Credit Suisse shareholders will not be compensated for losses incurred during the bank’s forced sale to UBS in March 2023, reported RTS. The Federal Supreme Court dismissed a claim brought by two small investors who had purchased nearly CHF 85,000 ($100,000) worth of Credit Suisse shares just days before the government-engineered rescue. The sale saw UBS acquire Credit Suisse for CHF 3 billion—about 94% below its book value of CHF 54 billion—under emergency legislation. Shareholders, stripped of voting rights by the terms of the deal, were not consulted. The plaintiffs argued that Swiss government…

Roughly 800 farms vanish every year in Switzerland, the equivalent of two per day, reported RTS. In the canton of Vaud alone, an average of one farm disappears each week. Behind these figures lies a more complex truth: the difficulty of intergenerational farm succession in a country where agriculture is still shaped by small, often family-run holdings. Andreas Wüthrich, a 64-year-old farmer from the Emmental, is preparing to retire after 35 years running a farm in Puidoux, Vaud, reported the broadcaster. You live with your work, day and night, he told RTS, reflecting on the all-consuming nature of the profession.…

This week, the Federal Council unveiled criteria that could allow Switzerland to temporarily limit the free movement of persons from the European Union and EFTA countries, reported RTS. The work follows the newly negotiated safeguard clause, part of the broader framework governing Swiss–EU bilateral relations. Under the plan, the government will monitor a set of national indicators—including immigration levels, the number of cross-border workers, unemployment rates, and recourse to social assistance. If these indicators surpass predefined thresholds, the Federal Council will be required to assess whether the safeguard clause should be triggered. Other metrics, such as pressure on housing, transport,…

This week, Switzerland’s National Council (parliament) approved a new framework for supporting childcare through an allowance scheme targeting parents with children up to the age of eight, reported RTS. While the proposal largely mirrors the version endorsed by the Council of States, notable differences remain—chiefly regarding the role of the federal government. Under the plan, the allowance would be funded jointly by cantons and employers to ease the financial burden on working parents using formal childcare facilities, such as nurseries or after-school programmes. The scheme would also cover parents in education or vocational training, even if they are not formally…

Many mistake Switzerland as a nation of polyglots who speak all of the nation’s three main languages fluently. However, German won’t get a visitor very far in Geneva and nor will French in Zurich. At the same time a political imperative to raise multilingualism remains widespread. This week, the closure of an experimental bilingual school in Bern was decried by some as a step backwards, reported SRF. Since 2019, select schools in Bern have offered classes taught equally in German and French, reflecting the canton’s bilingual identity and the city’s role as the federal city. But in a move announced…

This week, Germany’s new government announced a sharp tightening of its immigration policy, reported RTS. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt declared that most undocumented migrants, including asylum seekers, would be denied entry, with the exception of vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women. The plan also includes expanded border controls. Switzerland, which shares over 360km of border with Germany, swiftly denounced the unilateral and illegal move. The policy marks a reversal of Germany’s approach during the 2015 refugee crisis, when asylum seekers were broadly permitted to cross the border. The announcement follows months of domestic political pressure, particularly…

A proposed revision to Switzerland’s digital surveillance regulations has met with broad political and industry backlash, reported RTS. Critics say the draft, put forward by the Federal Council, threatens data privacy, allows disproportionate state intervention, and could undermine the country’s reputation as an innovation hub. In a consultation process that concluded on Tuesday, parties across the political spectrum—including the Greens, Socialists, Liberal Greens, PLR/FDP, and the UDC/SVP—voiced opposition. They argue that the plan lacks clarity, contravenes existing law, and could have chilling effects on digital enterprise. The Centre Party declined to take a position. Industry and civil society groups were…