Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Switzerland's population is the 'most satisfied' in Europe; increasing number of Swiss question their neutrality; and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Swiss population is the ‘most satisfied’ in Europe
In European comparison, life satisfaction in Switzerland is the highest of all countries.
This is what emerges from a study published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Tuesday.
Also, "the overall standard of living remained high in European comparison.”
However, not all is rosy in Switzerland.
The FSO also found that one in 10 people had difficulty making ends meet and 4.9 percent of the population had to forego essential goods and services for financial reasons.
Fewer Swiss believe neutrality will protect them from global conflicts
As the sovereigntist organisation Pro Schweiz is set to launch a national vote aimed at better anchoring Swiss neutrality in the country's constitution, a new study shows that commitment to this policy has waned, even if slightly.
Carried out by the Center for Security Studies of the ETH Zurich, the study found that neutrality is no longer a sacrosanct principle in Switzerland.
While the vast majority of respondents (91 percent) still support this longstanding policy, it is 6 percent less than before the war in Ukraine.
Some 49 percent think that armed neutrality can keep Switzerland safe (3 percent less than previously ), and 51 percent (versus 57 percent before the war) believe it can be maintained in the event of a military conflict.
40 percent of naturalised Zurich residents come from one country
In 2023, a total of 2,950 people in Zurich obtained Swiss citizenship; 40 percent of them came from Germany, according to new statistics released by the city.
This is in line with national data showing that most foreigners naturalised in Switzerland are Germans.
Next in terms of numbers (in Zurich) are Italians, followed by people from France and Spain.
More announcements on public transport will be made in English
Switzerland is a multilingual country, but what if you find yourself on public transport and don't understand German, French or Italian?
That's why some tram and bus operators want to make their announcements in English as well.
One of the pioneers of this movement is the PostBus.
“Since tourist traffic is very important, we would like to be able to provide more and more information in English in the future,” according to spokesperson Katharina Merkle.
READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland is English most widely used?
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 population is the ‘most satisfied’ in Europe
In European comparison, life satisfaction in Switzerland is the highest of all countries.
This is what emerges from a study published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Tuesday.
Also, "the overall standard of living remained high in European comparison.”
However, not all is rosy in Switzerland.
The FSO also found that one in 10 people had difficulty making ends meet and 4.9 percent of the population had to forego essential goods and services for financial reasons.
Fewer Swiss believe neutrality will protect them from global conflicts
As the sovereigntist organisation Pro Schweiz is set to launch a national vote aimed at better anchoring Swiss neutrality in the country's constitution, a new study shows that commitment to this policy has waned, even if slightly.
Carried out by the Center for Security Studies of the ETH Zurich, the study found that neutrality is no longer a sacrosanct principle in Switzerland.
While the vast majority of respondents (91 percent) still support this longstanding policy, it is 6 percent less than before the war in Ukraine.
Some 49 percent think that armed neutrality can keep Switzerland safe (3 percent less than previously ), and 51 percent (versus 57 percent before the war) believe it can be maintained in the event of a military conflict.
40 percent of naturalised Zurich residents come from one country
In 2023, a total of 2,950 people in Zurich obtained Swiss citizenship; 40 percent of them came from Germany, according to new statistics released by the city.
This is in line with national data showing that most foreigners naturalised in Switzerland are Germans.
Next in terms of numbers (in Zurich) are Italians, followed by people from France and Spain.
More announcements on public transport will be made in English
Switzerland is a multilingual country, but what if you find yourself on public transport and don't understand German, French or Italian?
That's why some tram and bus operators want to make their announcements in English as well.
One of the pioneers of this movement is the PostBus.
“Since tourist traffic is very important, we would like to be able to provide more and more information in English in the future,” according to spokesperson Katharina Merkle.
READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland is English most widely used?
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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