Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
Zurich airport is adding several new destinations
The summer timetable went into effect at Zurich Airport from March 27th, with the number of destinations served (191) now almost as large as before the pandemic.
The new routes include Bologna and Pisa in Italy, Nantes in France, Vilnius in Lithuania, Newquay in England, Ponta Delgada in Portugal, and Ajaccio in Corsica.
Also, from the end of April, there will be more flights to North America, especially to Chicago and New York, the airport announced.
Swiss consume 23 kg of cheese per year
A new survey from the Swiss Milk Producers Association shows that an average person in Switzerland consumers just over 23 kg of cheese a year.
Among the most popular Swiss cheese are — no surprise here — fondues and raclettes, followed by Tête de Moine, Fribrourgeois Vacherin, as well as hard cheeses, such as Gruyère, Etivaz or Emmentaler.
While there has been an acute shortage of domestic butter in the country resulting in increase of import quotas, Swiss cheese is, fortunately, plentiful.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland so obsessed with cheese?
READ MORE: Ten varieties of cheese you should be able to identify if you live in Switzerland
Wealthy Basel to reduce taxes
Despite the high cost of managing the health crisis, Basel-City had an impressive budget surplus of 215 million in 2021.
The canton came through the pandemic well thanks in large part to the crisis-resistant pharmaceutical industry, in particular giants Roche and Novartis.
“It makes sense to now give some of the surplus back to the population. The aim is tax relief for everyone”, said canton’s finance director Tanja Soland.
In doing so, the Basel government is also reacting to political pressure to lower taxes. Cantonal parliament will now decide on the amount of the tax package.
Zurich Insurance removes “Z” symbol from its logo to support Ukraine
One of Switzerland’s largest insurance companies, Zurich, has removed the letter Z from its social media accounts because it is marked on Russian military vehicles that invaded Ukraine.
Zurich said it is removing the logo because the company does not want to be seen as siding with Russia in the conflict.
The letter is displayed prominently on banners at pro-Kremlin rallies.
"We are temporarily removing the letter 'Z' from social channels where it …could be misinterpreted," as a sign of support, the company added.
READ MORE: Switzerland freezes Russian assets worth 5.75 billion francs
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Zurich airport is adding several new destinations
The summer timetable went into effect at Zurich Airport from March 27th, with the number of destinations served (191) now almost as large as before the pandemic.
The new routes include Bologna and Pisa in Italy, Nantes in France, Vilnius in Lithuania, Newquay in England, Ponta Delgada in Portugal, and Ajaccio in Corsica.
Also, from the end of April, there will be more flights to North America, especially to Chicago and New York, the airport announced.
Swiss consume 23 kg of cheese per year
A new survey from the Swiss Milk Producers Association shows that an average person in Switzerland consumers just over 23 kg of cheese a year.
Among the most popular Swiss cheese are — no surprise here — fondues and raclettes, followed by Tête de Moine, Fribrourgeois Vacherin, as well as hard cheeses, such as Gruyère, Etivaz or Emmentaler.
While there has been an acute shortage of domestic butter in the country resulting in increase of import quotas, Swiss cheese is, fortunately, plentiful.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland so obsessed with cheese?
READ MORE: Ten varieties of cheese you should be able to identify if you live in Switzerland
Wealthy Basel to reduce taxes
Despite the high cost of managing the health crisis, Basel-City had an impressive budget surplus of 215 million in 2021.
The canton came through the pandemic well thanks in large part to the crisis-resistant pharmaceutical industry, in particular giants Roche and Novartis.
“It makes sense to now give some of the surplus back to the population. The aim is tax relief for everyone”, said canton’s finance director Tanja Soland.
In doing so, the Basel government is also reacting to political pressure to lower taxes. Cantonal parliament will now decide on the amount of the tax package.
Zurich Insurance removes “Z” symbol from its logo to support Ukraine
One of Switzerland’s largest insurance companies, Zurich, has removed the letter Z from its social media accounts because it is marked on Russian military vehicles that invaded Ukraine.
Zurich said it is removing the logo because the company does not want to be seen as siding with Russia in the conflict.
The letter is displayed prominently on banners at pro-Kremlin rallies.
"We are temporarily removing the letter 'Z' from social channels where it …could be misinterpreted," as a sign of support, the company added.
READ MORE: Switzerland freezes Russian assets worth 5.75 billion francs
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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