Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Tougher language criteria for naturalisation to be debated in one canton; Switzerland's housing shortage to reach record proportions; and other news in our Monday roundup.
Calls for tougher language rules for naturalisation in Zug
The Zug section of the populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) filed a motion to require applicants for Swiss citizenship to have better German skills.
Under the current federal legislation, the B1 level is required orally and A2 in writing.
However, the right-wingers would like to push the requirements up — B2 for oral and B1 for written language because “the requirements are currently too low,” according to the cantonal SVP head, Philip C. Brunner.
"Having the Swiss passport should be a great privilege, and the language is an important element of successful integration," he added.
READ MORE: Naturalisation: How well must I speak a Swiss language for citizenship?
Living space in Switzerland is becoming scarcer
In three years, there will be a shortage of 50,000 apartments in Switzerland, which experts call “the greatest housing shortage in more than 30 years.”
The reason for this scarcity, according to Neue Zuricher Zeitung report on Sunday, is the combination of higher immigration and the slump in construction activity.
Shortages will drive up rents in available housing, resulting in the lack of affordable dwellings, which is already a problem in major Swiss cities and, in case of Zurich, had even caused social unrest.
READ MORE: How Zurich’s housing shortage sparked massive rioting
Swiss polytechnic institutes could restrict access for foreign students
The polytechnic schools of Lausanne and Zurich (EPFL and ETH, respectively), could curb the influx of foreigners due to planned budgetary cuts.
Specifically, unlike regular universities, which are funded by cantons, the polytechnic institutes depend on finances from the federal government, which already announced it needs to curb spending.
Currently, almost 50 percent of students at both EPFL and ETH are foreigners. At masters and doctoral level, 80 percent of the student body comes from abroad.
READ MORE : Why ETH Zurich has been ranked the 'best university in continental Europe'
Gusty winds to wane, but low temperatures remain
Gale-force winds, reaching 100 km / hour have causied some material damage in western part of Switzerland, including Geneva and Vaud.
Intempéries à Genève: Une bise à près de 100 km/h fait de nombreux dégâts https://t.co/lx0iTFQg2a
— Tribune de Genève (@tdgch) February 26, 2023
The wind is expected to weaken somewhat today, according to MeteoNews.
“However, we will still have peaks between 50 and 70 km/h,” the weather service said. “Fortunately, the rest of the week promises to be much calmer.”
This is the weather forecast for this week for all regions of Switzerland.
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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Calls for tougher language rules for naturalisation in Zug
The Zug section of the populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) filed a motion to require applicants for Swiss citizenship to have better German skills.
Under the current federal legislation, the B1 level is required orally and A2 in writing.
However, the right-wingers would like to push the requirements up — B2 for oral and B1 for written language because “the requirements are currently too low,” according to the cantonal SVP head, Philip C. Brunner.
"Having the Swiss passport should be a great privilege, and the language is an important element of successful integration," he added.
READ MORE: Naturalisation: How well must I speak a Swiss language for citizenship?
Living space in Switzerland is becoming scarcer
In three years, there will be a shortage of 50,000 apartments in Switzerland, which experts call “the greatest housing shortage in more than 30 years.”
The reason for this scarcity, according to Neue Zuricher Zeitung report on Sunday, is the combination of higher immigration and the slump in construction activity.
Shortages will drive up rents in available housing, resulting in the lack of affordable dwellings, which is already a problem in major Swiss cities and, in case of Zurich, had even caused social unrest.
READ MORE: How Zurich’s housing shortage sparked massive rioting
Swiss polytechnic institutes could restrict access for foreign students
The polytechnic schools of Lausanne and Zurich (EPFL and ETH, respectively), could curb the influx of foreigners due to planned budgetary cuts.
Specifically, unlike regular universities, which are funded by cantons, the polytechnic institutes depend on finances from the federal government, which already announced it needs to curb spending.
Currently, almost 50 percent of students at both EPFL and ETH are foreigners. At masters and doctoral level, 80 percent of the student body comes from abroad.
READ MORE : Why ETH Zurich has been ranked the 'best university in continental Europe'
Gusty winds to wane, but low temperatures remain
Gale-force winds, reaching 100 km / hour have causied some material damage in western part of Switzerland, including Geneva and Vaud.
Intempéries à Genève: Une bise à près de 100 km/h fait de nombreux dégâts https://t.co/lx0iTFQg2a
— Tribune de Genève (@tdgch) February 26, 2023
The wind is expected to weaken somewhat today, according to MeteoNews.
“However, we will still have peaks between 50 and 70 km/h,” the weather service said. “Fortunately, the rest of the week promises to be much calmer.”
This is the weather forecast for this week for all regions of Switzerland.
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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