Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

In Switzerland, there is resistance to EU deals on both the left and right. On the right concern tends to be focused on loss of self determination, cultural erosion and overcrowding. On the left, key sticking points are loss of trade protection and wage dumping. This week, progress was made on wage protection, reported RTS. The Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), the main party on the right, and Switzerland’s largest party, has made it clear that it is strongly opposed to any deal with the EU. This means any majority will need to include support from the left in addition to…

An OECD study published this week shows the level of literacy, numeracy and problem solving among the adult population across 31 OECD nations. Switzerland, scores above average on all three measures with significant differences across gender and educational backgrounds. These adult aptitude tests run by the OECD are known colloquially as adult PISA scores. In Switzerland, adults aged 16-65 scored, on average, 266 points in literacy (OECD average 260), 276 points in numeracy (OECD average 263), and 257 points in adaptive problem solving (OECD average 251). Switzerland was ranked 7th, 6th and 8th respectively across these three measures. Finland, Japan, Sweden, Norway and Netherlands…

On 21 March 2025, Switzerland’s parliament approved an historic trade deal with India. The deal will give Swiss businesses an advantage over EU, US and UK competitors whose governments have yet to reach trade deals with India. The deal was supported by 131 versus 22 parliamentary votes. The main opposition came from Socialist Party members keen to see investments associated with social and environmental damage excluded from any agreement. The successful vote, which accepted a deal covering nearly 95% of Switzerland’s exports to India, is the result of 16 years of negotiations. The agreement, which was signed a year ago,…

The number of medical professionals in Switzerland rose by 3.7% in 2024. However, the proportion of foreign doctors working in the country continues to increase, reaching 41.3% of all doctors in 2024. Relying so heavily on foreign medical professionals is risky, according to a representative of a medical association who spoke to SRF. In 2003, 17% of doctors in Switzerland were foreign. By 2024, 21 years later, this figure had more than doubled to over 41%, significantly exceeding the OECD average of 19%. Most of these professionals come from Germany (49%), Italy (10%), France (7%), and Austria (6%). These four…

All-electric vehicle registrations as a percentage of the total fell in Switzerland in 2024, according to recent data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). So did the total number. After years of strong growth, all-electric vehicles as a percentage of new vehicle registrations fell in 2024. For passenger cars the percentage fell from 20.7% in 2023 to 19.0% in 2024. For goods vehicles the same figure fell from 12.2% to 8.6%. There were also fewer new all-electric car registrations in 2024. Across the year 46,500 new electric vehicles were registered, 6,000 fewer than in 2023. The shift was driven by…

Renewable energy, such as electricity produced from the sun, comes with challenges. Sunshine does not follow our pattern of electricity consumption. Storing excess production helps. However, sometimes batteries hit full capacity. When this happens any excess must be dumped. Christoph Bucher and his team at Bern University of Applied Sciences advocate adding a system that intelligently throttles the amount solar installations can put into the grid, reported SRF. Throttling the amount of electricity solar panel owners can put into the system is not without controversy. Any excess electricity produced that is not used or injected into the grid is lost…

The vote this weekend delivered a clear “no”. The Environmental Responsibility Initiative set highly ambitious limits to emissions and the consumption of natural resources, defined as planetary boundaries, to be reached within 10 years. Polls ahead of the vote made it clear that a majority of those polled considered the economic costs of meeting such targets within a 10 year time frame would be too great. Many were concerned about the impact on jobs, prosperity and a loss of competitive advantage for Swiss companies. On 9 February 2025, 69.84% of voters rejected the plan. No canton acheived a majority, however…

This week, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced it was against a popular initiative to make it easier to become Swiss. The team behind the initiative hopes to convince a majority of Swiss voters to allow foreign residents to apply for citizenship after 5 years of residence, regardless of the type or permit held. Currently, 10 years of residence with 3 years on a C-permit are required before an application for Swiss citizenship can be submitted. In addition, evidence of mastery of the local language, success in a local knowledge test, no criminal convictions, no delinquent debts in the register, and no…

A study by the University of Geneva estimates that those who speak German in addition to French in the Switzerland’s French-speaking region earn on average 10% to 20% more than those without German, reported SRF. Across Switzerland’s French-speaking region, German is taught at school. Those remaining in school until 18 have typically studied the language for seven years. However, the resulting language level is often below what employers require, according François Grin, who has studied the value of multilingualism in the local job market. Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. However, across much of the country,…

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…