Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Switzerland may be close to securing a 15% tariff on its exports to the US, in what would be a relief for the country after it was hit with a punishing 39% levy in August, according to people familiar with the matter, reported Bloomberg. A deal may be concluded within weeks, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing ongoing negotiations. They also warned that nothing is finalized and the talks could still come undone, as happened during discussions between US and Swiss trade negotiators in late July. A spokesperson for the Swiss government declined to comment. The White House…

Swiss citizens will head to the polls on March 8th 2026 to vote on four national measures: initiatives on cash, public broadcasting, and a climate fund, as well as a referendum on individual taxation, reported the government this week. Cutting the bill for public broadcastingThe “200 francs is enough” initiative, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), the Swiss Union of Arts and Crafts and the Young Liberals, seeks to cap the annual licence fee for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR) at CHF 200, and to exempt all companies from the levy. Parliament rejected the proposal, but the federal…

A popular initiative by Switzerland’s Green Party to make solar panels mandatory on most rooftops has gathered more than 100,000 signatures, enough to trigger a national vote once the federal chancellery formally validates them, reported RTS. The proposal seeks to require the installation of photovoltaic systems on nearly all new and existing buildings, though exemptions would apply to protected structures. The Greens argue that Switzerland’s rooftops provide ample space to generate all of the country’s electricity needs. Mandating solar panels, they say, would ease the energy transition and reduce dependence on foreign power. Strong resistance from property and energy sectorsThe…

Pregnancy is a revolution disguised as a whisper. It begins quietly, often privately — a realization, a heartbeat, a transformation blossoming under the surface. Yet as the months unfold, what was once hidden becomes undeniable: a new life is being written not with ink, but with heartbeat, breath, emotion, and light. This is the chapter that deserves documentation not in pixels alone, but in meaning. Luxury maternity photography exists for the modern mother — the woman who is strong yet soft, ambitious yet emotional, contemporary yet deeply connected to timeless beauty. She is not seeking just photos. She is seeking…

Bern’s emergency shelters are under strain—and most of those using them are not Swiss.A new regulation introduced in October 2025 by the canton of Bern restricts access to emergency accommodation to people with valid papers, in an effort to ration scarce spaces. The measure, intended to ensure that limited places go to those legally entitled to them, has provoked opposition in the city. Fresh figures this week have added fuel to the debate. Data obtained by Swiss broadcaster SRF show that Bern’s main homeless shelter, with 60 beds, was consistently full in 2024. Just under a third of residents—30%—were Swiss.…

With winter setting in, Switzerland’s Gotthard Pass and the hiking and cycling trail through the Schöllenen Gorge will shut for safety reasons. The closures, announced by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), take effect on November 7th, 2025. FEDRO said on Thursday that the Gotthard route between Hospental in Uri and Airolo in Ticino will be closed to all traffic from Friday owing to winter conditions. During the closure, vehicles will continue to use the Gotthard road tunnel as normal. Following a rockfall in Jostbach in September, which caused damage in the area, snow-retention structures are being installed above the Teufelsbrücke…

Switzerland’s road deaths have risen by a third over the past five years, even as fatalities have fallen across much of Europe. The country’s accident-prevention bureau (BPA) on Tuesday lamented the trend and called for a more coherent road-safety policy backed by all stakeholders. According to the BPA, the number of people killed on Swiss roads has increased by 34% since 2019, whereas the European average has dropped by 12%, figures from the European Transport Safety Council show. Over a decade, the contrast is also stark: deaths are up by 2.9% in Switzerland, but down 17% across Europe. A grim…

After six consecutive cuts, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has left its key rate unchanged at 0%. It also reaffirmed its willingness to intervene in foreign-exchange markets if needed. Inflationary pressures, it noted, remain broadly stable. The bank will keep a close eye on the data and adjust policy as required to safeguard price stability. Few were surprised: most economists had anticipated the pause. The economic outlook, however, is murkier. America’s steeper tariffs have cast a shadow, with trade policy and slowing global growth cited as the main risks. The SNB still expects Swiss GDP to expand by 1–1.5% in…

Students staged protests across Switzerland on Wednesday against a plan to double university registration fees and other austerity measures in higher education, reported RTS. A petition with more than 37,000 signatures was handed to the Federal Chancellery in Bern. The fee rise forms part of the Federal Council’s 2027 budget-consolidation package. The Swiss Students’ Union (UNES) says it would erode equal opportunity and weaken the country’s education system: Cut education today and you get skills shortages, lower social mobility and less innovation, say those opposing the fee hikes. The public-sector union warns that planned research cuts, including to the Swiss…

Switzerland’s Federal Council intends to tax electric cars from 2030 to make up for shrinking fuel-tax revenues, reported SRF. Two models are on the table: a levy per kilometre driven or a surcharge on the electricity used to charge vehicles. Either would require a constitutional amendment, meaning approval from both voters and cantons. The logic is straightforward. Roads in Switzerland are funded entirely by users. The main source of cash is the mineral-oil tax, which feeds the National Road and Agglomeration Transport Fund and other pots. Roughly half of the levy also tops up the federal budget. As petrol and…