Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Foreigners break Zurich's population record, more measles cases detected in Switzerland; and other news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Thanks to foreigners, the city of Zurich breaks the population record
After the canton of Zurich registered a record-high number of inhabitants last week — 1.6 million — the same upward trend has been recorded in the city as well.
In all, nearly 450,000 people now live in Switzerland’s largest city, with 4,045 people having moved to Zurich since 2022.
This increase is mostly due to immigration, according to the municipal statistics office.
Currenly, just over 150,000 foreign nationals live in Zurich, accounting for 33.6 percent of the entire population.
READ ALSO: What you should know about Zurich’s record population
MPs approve resumption of talks between Switzerland and the EU
After the National Council, it was the turn of The Foreign Policy Commission of the Council of States on Tuesday to give the green light to the Federal Council to resume the stalled negotiations with the European Union.
Relations between Bern and Brussels are governed by numerous bilateral agreements, but in 2021 Switzerland walked out of the negotiations.
After the cooling-off period, however, the two sides are ready to talk again, including on subjects that were contentious in the previous round of negotiations — especially those concerning the free movement of persons, which allows people from the EU to work in Switzerland, and vice-versa.
Continued talks, to re-start sometime in the spring, will “take Swiss interests into account” and “also contribute to legal security in the long term,” MPs said.
READ ALSO: What is Switzerland's deal with the EU?
Government devises ‘action plan’ to tackle housing shortage
Lack of affordable housing has been an ongoing problem in Switzerland, especially in and near large cities.
During the second round of talks on the housing shortage held on Tuesday, Economy Minister Guy Parmelin, along with representatives of cantons and municipalities, as well as construction and real estate sectors, came up with a 30-step plan aiming to speed up construction permits, and boost the housing supply in general and low-rent housing in particular.
These and further measures still need to be fine-tuned.
Measles are on the rise in Switzerland
More cases of this infectious, fast-spreading disease, which strikes unvaccinated children and adults, have been detected in Switzerland since the beginning of 2023, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Recently, a hotel management university in Lausanne was closed due to students contracting measles.
In the first five weeks of the year, 12 cases of measles had been found in Switzerland.
This may not seem like much, except when compared with the same period the previous year, when only four cases had been recorded.
The good news is that “the current vaccination rate in Switzerland — which is 94 percent among young children — should prevent a major outbreak,” FOPH 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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Thanks to foreigners, the city of Zurich breaks the population record
After the canton of Zurich registered a record-high number of inhabitants last week — 1.6 million — the same upward trend has been recorded in the city as well.
In all, nearly 450,000 people now live in Switzerland’s largest city, with 4,045 people having moved to Zurich since 2022.
This increase is mostly due to immigration, according to the municipal statistics office.
Currenly, just over 150,000 foreign nationals live in Zurich, accounting for 33.6 percent of the entire population.
READ ALSO: What you should know about Zurich’s record population
MPs approve resumption of talks between Switzerland and the EU
After the National Council, it was the turn of The Foreign Policy Commission of the Council of States on Tuesday to give the green light to the Federal Council to resume the stalled negotiations with the European Union.
Relations between Bern and Brussels are governed by numerous bilateral agreements, but in 2021 Switzerland walked out of the negotiations.
After the cooling-off period, however, the two sides are ready to talk again, including on subjects that were contentious in the previous round of negotiations — especially those concerning the free movement of persons, which allows people from the EU to work in Switzerland, and vice-versa.
Continued talks, to re-start sometime in the spring, will “take Swiss interests into account” and “also contribute to legal security in the long term,” MPs said.
READ ALSO: What is Switzerland's deal with the EU?
Government devises ‘action plan’ to tackle housing shortage
Lack of affordable housing has been an ongoing problem in Switzerland, especially in and near large cities.
During the second round of talks on the housing shortage held on Tuesday, Economy Minister Guy Parmelin, along with representatives of cantons and municipalities, as well as construction and real estate sectors, came up with a 30-step plan aiming to speed up construction permits, and boost the housing supply in general and low-rent housing in particular.
These and further measures still need to be fine-tuned.
Measles are on the rise in Switzerland
More cases of this infectious, fast-spreading disease, which strikes unvaccinated children and adults, have been detected in Switzerland since the beginning of 2023, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Recently, a hotel management university in Lausanne was closed due to students contracting measles.
In the first five weeks of the year, 12 cases of measles had been found in Switzerland.
This may not seem like much, except when compared with the same period the previous year, when only four cases had been recorded.
The good news is that “the current vaccination rate in Switzerland — which is 94 percent among young children — should prevent a major outbreak,” FOPH 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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