Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Swiss consumers adapt their shopping habits to deal with inflation, women may have to serve in the army, and other news from Switzerland on Thursday.
More Swiss consumers shop at discount retailers
Due to higher — and constantly rising — food prices, an increasing number of people in Switzerland shop at supermarkets where prices are cheaper than elsewhere.
Aldi, Lidl and Denner all report an influx of new customers.
“We feel that price concerns have been on the minds of our customers recently," said Aldi spokesperson Jacqueline Fäs. “Our own products and promotional offers are in high demand”.
The same observation has been made by the management of the two other retailers.
READ MORE: Pasta up by 13 percent: How food and energy prices in Switzerland are rising
Swiss president's handshake with Russia causes controversy
While attending the opening week of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York this week, Ignazio Cassis was photographed shaking hands with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Though Cassis announced beforehand that he would address "President Putin's recent provocations" and that he would “condemn the nuclear threat”, Russia used the photo for its own propaganda purposes, with Lavrov publishing the picture of the two smiling diplomats in his tweet.
🇷🇺🇨🇭 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov held talks with President of the Swiss Confederation @ignaziocassis on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly.#RussiaSwitzerland #UNGA77 pic.twitter.com/QajRCW4sy4
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) September 21, 2022
While the Foreign Ministry said “it sees no problem” with this photo, Swiss media noted that “no head of state or minister of a Western democracy has allowed himself to be represented with Sergei Lavrov in such a posture”.
Swiss women may have to serve in the military
As there is a looming shortage of soldiers in the Swiss army — which is expected to hit by the end of the decade — women could be recruited to serve along with men.
To remedy the situation, the Federal Council is considering making the military service compulsory for women.
The issue is now debated by MPs in the Council of States.
Switzerland’s best towns are mostly around Zug
The new ranking of "Best municipalities in Switzerland" by Iazi real estate platform shows the communities of Zug, Cham and Rish occupying the first three places.
They are followed by Altendorf (Schwyz), Meggen (Lucerne), and Hergiswil (Nidwalden).
The towns were ranked based on 50 criteria, including taxes, job opportunities, security, public transport, real estate, environment, leisure activities, educational establishments, the support available for the elderly, and daycare facilities.
READ MORE: REVEALED: Which Swiss cities offer the best quality of life?
Owning a home may not make you happy
Though many people in Switzerland dream of owning property, the realisation of this dream may not necessarily make them happy, a study by economists from the University of Basel found.
Researchers studied the impact of home ownership on life satisfaction and found that while purchasing one’s own house increases the feeling of happiness, these feelings eventually abate.
The reason may be that buyers underestimate some aspects of home ownership, which may include responsibilities and costs
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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More Swiss consumers shop at discount retailers
Due to higher — and constantly rising — food prices, an increasing number of people in Switzerland shop at supermarkets where prices are cheaper than elsewhere.
Aldi, Lidl and Denner all report an influx of new customers.
“We feel that price concerns have been on the minds of our customers recently," said Aldi spokesperson Jacqueline Fäs. “Our own products and promotional offers are in high demand”.
The same observation has been made by the management of the two other retailers.
READ MORE: Pasta up by 13 percent: How food and energy prices in Switzerland are rising
Swiss president's handshake with Russia causes controversy
While attending the opening week of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York this week, Ignazio Cassis was photographed shaking hands with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Though Cassis announced beforehand that he would address "President Putin's recent provocations" and that he would “condemn the nuclear threat”, Russia used the photo for its own propaganda purposes, with Lavrov publishing the picture of the two smiling diplomats in his tweet.
🇷🇺🇨🇭 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov held talks with President of the Swiss Confederation @ignaziocassis on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly.#RussiaSwitzerland #UNGA77 pic.twitter.com/QajRCW4sy4
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) September 21, 2022
While the Foreign Ministry said “it sees no problem” with this photo, Swiss media noted that “no head of state or minister of a Western democracy has allowed himself to be represented with Sergei Lavrov in such a posture”.
Swiss women may have to serve in the military
As there is a looming shortage of soldiers in the Swiss army — which is expected to hit by the end of the decade — women could be recruited to serve along with men.
To remedy the situation, the Federal Council is considering making the military service compulsory for women.
The issue is now debated by MPs in the Council of States.
Switzerland’s best towns are mostly around Zug
The new ranking of "Best municipalities in Switzerland" by Iazi real estate platform shows the communities of Zug, Cham and Rish occupying the first three places.
They are followed by Altendorf (Schwyz), Meggen (Lucerne), and Hergiswil (Nidwalden).
The towns were ranked based on 50 criteria, including taxes, job opportunities, security, public transport, real estate, environment, leisure activities, educational establishments, the support available for the elderly, and daycare facilities.
READ MORE: REVEALED: Which Swiss cities offer the best quality of life?
Owning a home may not make you happy
Though many people in Switzerland dream of owning property, the realisation of this dream may not necessarily make them happy, a study by economists from the University of Basel found.
Researchers studied the impact of home ownership on life satisfaction and found that while purchasing one’s own house increases the feeling of happiness, these feelings eventually abate.
The reason may be that buyers underestimate some aspects of home ownership, which may include responsibilities and costs
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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