Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Find out what's going on today in Switzerland with The Local's short roundup of the news.
Switzerland’s energy resources are depleted
Switzerland's indigenous energy resources were only sufficient until today; from now on and until the end of the year, the country will subsist “on credit” — meaning it will rely only on the imported oil, gas and uranium.
According to Swiss Energy Foundation (SES), three-quarters of Switzerland’s energy is imported; which includes all petroleum products, natural gas and nuclear fuels.
To diminish its significant dependence on foreign energy sources, especially in view of the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, SES is calling on the Federal Council to accelerate the development and production of alternative, renewable energy.
READ MORE: Ukraine invasion: How reliant is Switzerland on Russia for energy?
Switzerland will again be hit by a cloud of sand
Get ready to head to the car wash again: a new cloud of Sahara dust is heading toward Switzerland and is expected to cover the country in yellow-brown hue by the middle of this week.
However, the news is not all bleak and grimy: after the recent cold snap, the weather will improve, with sunshine and warmer, more seasonal temperatures forecast for the rest of the week, including the Easter weekend.
READ MORE: Reader question: Is Switzerland’s Sahara dust cloud dangerous?
Head of industry group: No salmonella lurking in Swiss chocolate
Last week Italian candy producer Ferrero had to withdraw about 40 of its products from sale across Europe due to salmonella. Among the products taken off the shelves are popular Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs.
The Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse) wasted no time in announcing that chocolate produced in Switzerland doesn’t contain similar ‘surprises’.
“Such an incident is highly unlikely. I don’t remember a case like that from a Swiss manufacturer”, said Chocosuisse president Urs Furrer.
The reason, according to, Furrer, is that Swiss chocolate makers have very strict product safety standards, including rigorous control of all the raw materials such as cocoa.
READ MORE: Switzerland: What you need to know about the Ferrero product recall
Tourism sector continues to recover
The Swiss tourism sector is expected to keep rebounding from the slowdown (and even total shutdown) it had experienced during the Covid pandemic, according to a new a Credit Suisse study.
The promising outlook is due to the easing of travel restrictions in Europe and the United States.
Credit Suisse's analysis indicates that the number of Google searches for flights to Switzerland has reached pre-pandemic levels, but it has also shown the reverse trend: the Swiss are interested in spending their summer vacations abroad.
Some events could, however, dampen travel. They include political uncertainly related to the war in Ukraine, as well as the effects of inflation, both of which might discourage non-European tourists from coming to Switzerland, the study found.
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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Switzerland’s energy resources are depleted
Switzerland's indigenous energy resources were only sufficient until today; from now on and until the end of the year, the country will subsist “on credit” — meaning it will rely only on the imported oil, gas and uranium.
According to Swiss Energy Foundation (SES), three-quarters of Switzerland’s energy is imported; which includes all petroleum products, natural gas and nuclear fuels.
To diminish its significant dependence on foreign energy sources, especially in view of the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, SES is calling on the Federal Council to accelerate the development and production of alternative, renewable energy.
READ MORE: Ukraine invasion: How reliant is Switzerland on Russia for energy?
Switzerland will again be hit by a cloud of sand
Get ready to head to the car wash again: a new cloud of Sahara dust is heading toward Switzerland and is expected to cover the country in yellow-brown hue by the middle of this week.
However, the news is not all bleak and grimy: after the recent cold snap, the weather will improve, with sunshine and warmer, more seasonal temperatures forecast for the rest of the week, including the Easter weekend.
READ MORE: Reader question: Is Switzerland’s Sahara dust cloud dangerous?
Head of industry group: No salmonella lurking in Swiss chocolate
Last week Italian candy producer Ferrero had to withdraw about 40 of its products from sale across Europe due to salmonella. Among the products taken off the shelves are popular Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs.
The Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse) wasted no time in announcing that chocolate produced in Switzerland doesn’t contain similar ‘surprises’.
“Such an incident is highly unlikely. I don’t remember a case like that from a Swiss manufacturer”, said Chocosuisse president Urs Furrer.
The reason, according to, Furrer, is that Swiss chocolate makers have very strict product safety standards, including rigorous control of all the raw materials such as cocoa.
READ MORE: Switzerland: What you need to know about the Ferrero product recall
Tourism sector continues to recover
The Swiss tourism sector is expected to keep rebounding from the slowdown (and even total shutdown) it had experienced during the Covid pandemic, according to a new a Credit Suisse study.
The promising outlook is due to the easing of travel restrictions in Europe and the United States.
Credit Suisse's analysis indicates that the number of Google searches for flights to Switzerland has reached pre-pandemic levels, but it has also shown the reverse trend: the Swiss are interested in spending their summer vacations abroad.
Some events could, however, dampen travel. They include political uncertainly related to the war in Ukraine, as well as the effects of inflation, both of which might discourage non-European tourists from coming to Switzerland, the study found.
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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