Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Donald Trump has vowed to slap 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical imports to America from 1 October 2025. The measure, announced in a fleeting post on Truth Social, will apply to patented medicines, though generics appear exempt. Other imports will also be hit: kitchen and bathroom furniture (50%), upholstered furniture (30%) and heavy trucks (25%). The president says the goal is to shield domestic producers from “unfair” foreign competition. Drugmakers may avoid the levy if they shift production to America. To qualify, projects must already be under way, with factories under construction or ground-breaking imminent. The Republican has also demanded lower…

Switzerland’s right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) has filed a new initiative “To protect borders”. The proposal, backed by 110,000 signatures, demands systematic checks at Swiss frontiers and tighter asylum rules, reported RTS. Anyone entering Switzerland would face controls. If such checks conflict with international treaties, the Federal Council would be required to renegotiate them—or, failing that, pull out. Exceptions would apply for Swiss citizens, residents with valid permits of at least a year, and cross-border commuters. The initiative would bar asylum seekers arriving via a “safe” country and cap applications at 5,000 a year. Provisional admission—a status protecting people from…

On 28 September 2025, Zurich voters approved a citywide ban on petrol-powered leaf blowers. Only electric models will be allowed—and then only from October to December, the autumn season. Exemptions may be granted for major events such as Sechseläuten—Zurich’s traditional festival—and the Street Parade. The measure was backed by the city executive and a majority of the municipal council. Centre-right parties fought the proposal as petty meddling that would raise costs for municipal and private gardeners alike. Supporters argued the devices are noisy and harmful to fauna. They have now prevailed not only in the council chamber but at the…

Switzerland’s Young Socialists (JS) have launched their campaign for the “Pour l’avenir” (“For the Future”) initiative, arguing that the super-rich should shoulder the costs of combating climate change, reported RTS. The ultra-wealthy are destroying our future with private jets, super-yachts and multi-billion-franc investments that harm the climate, the group said at the campaign’s launch. They emit more in a few hours than most people do in a lifetime — it is only fair that they pay to fix the damage. Filed in August 2022, the initiative calls for a 50% inheritance tax on estates exceeding CHF 50 million, with the…

Switzerland’s primary schools are expected to see a steep decline in pupil numbers over the coming decade, according to projections from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The number of primary pupils will begin to fall from 2027, dropping by about 7% between 2025 and 2034. The decline reflects a sharp fall in births since 2022. The trend will affect all cantons and, in turn, the demand for teachers. The FSO expects the number of primary-school teachers to shrink by roughly 4,500 over ten years — a 6% decline. Fewer teachers neededRecruitment needs are already easing. Swiss schools hired about 6,000…

On 28 September 2025, Switzerland voted on two contentious matters: a state-run electronic identity (e-ID) and a revamp of property taxation. Both were approved, though one only just. The e-ID Act scraped through with 50.4% in favour and 49.6% against – narrower than polls had suggested. And, only 7.5 out of 26 cantons were in favour – Switzerland has 20 full cantons and 6 half cantons. Because this vote aimed to change a federal law rather than the constitution, it does not require a double majority – a majority of voters and a majority of cantons. The scheme, free and…

Health-insurance premiums and immigration remain the two biggest political concerns for Swiss voters, though both are less prevalent than last year, according to the latest SSR electoral barometer. Relations with the European Union, housing shortages and the economy have gained ground. Health costs top the list of challenges, cited by 40% of respondents. Immigration follows with 27%, the same share as EU relations and climate change. Asylum policy comes close behind at 26%. A year ago half of voters flagged premiums as the main issue; now only four in ten do. Immigration has also eased, from 33% to 27%. By…

The number of mountain-hiking accidents in Switzerland has doubled in the past 15 years, according to new data from Suva, the national accident insurer. Between 2009 and 2013, just over 4,000 incidents were recorded annually. From 2019 to 2023, that figure rose to around 9,000 a year. More than eight in ten accidents involved hikers tripping, slipping, or falling. Suva attributes the rise partly to unsuitable equipment, inattention and overestimation of one’s physical condition. It advises hikers to plan their routes carefully, check the weather and choose trails appropriate to their fitness levels. Between June and September this year, around…

Switzerland’s Federal Council has warned that a proposal by the Young Socialists could lead to substantial tax losses and drive wealthy residents abroad, reported RTS. On Monday, it launched its campaign against the “For the Future” initiative, which will go to a vote on 30 November 2025. The initiative, officially titled “For a socially just climate policy financed through fair taxation”, calls for a 50% levy on inheritances and donations exceeding CHF 50 million. The proceeds would fund climate measures. The initiators estimate the tax would generate around six billion francs annually—two-thirds for the federal government and one-third for the…

Young adults in Switzerland are staying longer in the family home. Half of the population now leaves their parents’ household at an average age of 23.7, almost two years later than previous generations, according to figures published on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The study compared people born between 1988 and 2007 with those born between 1968 and 1987. The gap is widest at age 20: only 19% of young adults in the younger cohort had moved out by then, compared with 30% among their elders. By age 30, the difference narrows. Most young Swiss leave home between…