Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Owning a home is becoming even more expensive; Switzerland prepares to resume talks with the EU; and other news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Property prices in Switzerland are still rising
Owning a home in Switzerland is now even more expensive than previously, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) published on Tuesday.
Compared with the same period in 2022, the prices increased by 1.3 percent, FSO found.
This may not seem like much on paper, but given that the average property price in Switzerland exceeds 1 million francs, that percentage adds a lot of money to the cost.
Not surprisingly, property prices went up the most in urban areas — for instance, apartments in major cities now cost 2.3 percent more.
The Federal Council prepares to re-launch talks with the EU
After Switzerland walked out on its negotiations with the European Union in May 2021, relations between Bern and Brussels have been strained.
Earlier this year, however, Switzerland said it was ready to re-start talks with the EU towards a long-awaited cooperation agreement.
Today, the Federal Council will debate what form Switzerland's future relations with the European Union should take.
It will define the contentious issues that have stalled negotiations before, including the free movement of people, as well as new agreements between Switzerland and the EU.
The date of the actual negotiations has not yet been set.
READ ALSO: What is Switzerland's deal with the EU?
Mandatory community service may not be legal
A group has collected enough signatures to launch a national vote seeking to oblige every citizen — and possibly some foreign residents as well — to perform a civic service for the benefit of the community and the environment.
This would be in addition to the military and civil protection service.
However, various legislators and legal experts are pointing out that the law prohibits forcing people to render services.
“In principle, people should not be forced into involuntary work,” according to constitutional lawyer Reto Müller.
SWISS airline ‘arbitrarily’ raises prices, consumer group says
The Foundation for Consumer Protection is accusing Switzerland’s national airline of ‘arbitrarily’ increasing prices of tickets on SWISS’ ‘monopoly routes’ — that is, routes that are not served by other carriers, for instance the one between Zurich and Geneva.
In fact, the Foundation said SWISS has had a “financially successful” year so far, precisely because it upped its prices.
The airline posted a profit of nearly 616 million francs in the first nine months of 2023 — highest ever in its 20-year history.
In response, SWISS has confirmed that its prices are “currently higher than before the pandemic.”
"We expect that flight tickets will generally become more expensive, due to our commitment to greater sustainability, and also due to high investments and costs,” the company spokesperson said.
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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Property prices in Switzerland are still rising
Owning a home in Switzerland is now even more expensive than previously, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) published on Tuesday.
Compared with the same period in 2022, the prices increased by 1.3 percent, FSO found.
This may not seem like much on paper, but given that the average property price in Switzerland exceeds 1 million francs, that percentage adds a lot of money to the cost.
Not surprisingly, property prices went up the most in urban areas — for instance, apartments in major cities now cost 2.3 percent more.
The Federal Council prepares to re-launch talks with the EU
After Switzerland walked out on its negotiations with the European Union in May 2021, relations between Bern and Brussels have been strained.
Earlier this year, however, Switzerland said it was ready to re-start talks with the EU towards a long-awaited cooperation agreement.
Today, the Federal Council will debate what form Switzerland's future relations with the European Union should take.
It will define the contentious issues that have stalled negotiations before, including the free movement of people, as well as new agreements between Switzerland and the EU.
The date of the actual negotiations has not yet been set.
READ ALSO: What is Switzerland's deal with the EU?
Mandatory community service may not be legal
A group has collected enough signatures to launch a national vote seeking to oblige every citizen — and possibly some foreign residents as well — to perform a civic service for the benefit of the community and the environment.
This would be in addition to the military and civil protection service.
However, various legislators and legal experts are pointing out that the law prohibits forcing people to render services.
“In principle, people should not be forced into involuntary work,” according to constitutional lawyer Reto Müller.
SWISS airline ‘arbitrarily’ raises prices, consumer group says
The Foundation for Consumer Protection is accusing Switzerland’s national airline of ‘arbitrarily’ increasing prices of tickets on SWISS’ ‘monopoly routes’ — that is, routes that are not served by other carriers, for instance the one between Zurich and Geneva.
In fact, the Foundation said SWISS has had a “financially successful” year so far, precisely because it upped its prices.
The airline posted a profit of nearly 616 million francs in the first nine months of 2023 — highest ever in its 20-year history.
In response, SWISS has confirmed that its prices are “currently higher than before the pandemic.”
"We expect that flight tickets will generally become more expensive, due to our commitment to greater sustainability, and also due to high investments and costs,” the company spokesperson said.
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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