Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Legislation to ban Hamas is underway; married couples could get tax breaks in future; and more Swiss news in our roundup on Thursday.
Swiss government creates a law to ban Hamas
In November, the Federal Council said it would bring forward a draft law by the end of February explicitly banning Hamas within Switzerland.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Beat Jans presented the new legislation, which outlaws not only the activities of, or support for, the Palestinian militant group, “but also the organisations serving as its cover, those which emanate from it, as well as the organisations and groups which act on its behalf or in its name.”
Acts of support for Hamas and affiliated organisations “are punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years and, for people who exercise decisive influence within these entities, up to 20 years,” Jans added.
The legislation will initially be in effect for five years.
Switzerland moves closer to scrapping tax on married couples
On Wednesday, the Federal Council sent a proposal to the parliament, calling for a reform of the longstanding legislation by allowing separate, rather than joint, taxation of spouses.
Currently in Switzerland, when two people get married, their incomes are combined and taxed jointly, meaning they can lose out compared to unmarried couples who are taxed separately.
The measure would end the “penalisation of marriage” from the financial point of view, the government said — even though the new system would result in a significant drop in tax revenue.
Switzerland needs better grip on the health system, report reveals
After analysing the functioning of the Swiss healthcare system, the University Center for General Medicine and Public Health of Lausanne (Unisanté) brought several “critical” issues to light.
Published on Wednesday together with the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS), the report points out that, while it generally functions well, the system “is poorly suited to the challenges of the future".
One of the stumbling blocks cited is “a tangle of cantonal and federal responsibilities which bog down the system,” and which demands a “more sustainable, clearer and more coherent healthcare governance".
Zurich to remove Ukrainian flags from public spaces
Ukrainian flags have been flying over Switzerland’s largest city since Russia attacked the country on February 24, 2022.
But as the second anniversary of the invasion approaches, the municipality decided to take the blue-and-yellow flags down.
The reason for this move, the city explained, is that flying foreign flags for such a long period of time “is not common practice".
However, before the flags are removed, the city and the Grossmünster church will hold, on Saturday, a memorial event for peace in Ukraine.
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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Swiss government creates a law to ban Hamas
In November, the Federal Council said it would bring forward a draft law by the end of February explicitly banning Hamas within Switzerland.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Beat Jans presented the new legislation, which outlaws not only the activities of, or support for, the Palestinian militant group, “but also the organisations serving as its cover, those which emanate from it, as well as the organisations and groups which act on its behalf or in its name.”
Acts of support for Hamas and affiliated organisations “are punishable by a sentence of up to 10 years and, for people who exercise decisive influence within these entities, up to 20 years,” Jans added.
The legislation will initially be in effect for five years.
Switzerland moves closer to scrapping tax on married couples
On Wednesday, the Federal Council sent a proposal to the parliament, calling for a reform of the longstanding legislation by allowing separate, rather than joint, taxation of spouses.
Currently in Switzerland, when two people get married, their incomes are combined and taxed jointly, meaning they can lose out compared to unmarried couples who are taxed separately.
The measure would end the “penalisation of marriage” from the financial point of view, the government said — even though the new system would result in a significant drop in tax revenue.
Switzerland needs better grip on the health system, report reveals
After analysing the functioning of the Swiss healthcare system, the University Center for General Medicine and Public Health of Lausanne (Unisanté) brought several “critical” issues to light.
Published on Wednesday together with the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS), the report points out that, while it generally functions well, the system “is poorly suited to the challenges of the future".
One of the stumbling blocks cited is “a tangle of cantonal and federal responsibilities which bog down the system,” and which demands a “more sustainable, clearer and more coherent healthcare governance".
Zurich to remove Ukrainian flags from public spaces
Ukrainian flags have been flying over Switzerland’s largest city since Russia attacked the country on February 24, 2022.
But as the second anniversary of the invasion approaches, the municipality decided to take the blue-and-yellow flags down.
The reason for this move, the city explained, is that flying foreign flags for such a long period of time “is not common practice".
However, before the flags are removed, the city and the Grossmünster church will hold, on Saturday, a memorial event for peace in Ukraine.
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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