Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Push to include Switzerland's ties with the EU in the country's constitution; Swiss airline to continue flying between Zurich and Geneva; and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Initiative launched to strengthen ties between Switzerland and the EU
Bern and Brussels are currently in the midst of bilateral negotiations, but a pro-European group in Switzerland, Operation Libero, wants the relationship between the two sides to go even further.
On Tuesday, the organisation launched a popular initiative seeking to anchor Switzerland’s ties with the European Union in the constitution.
Specifically, the initiative is pushing for a constitutional amendment to mandate “participation in the freedoms of the European internal market and in other areas of European cooperation.”
Die Europa-Initiative ist lanciert🚀 Wir wollen eine starke Schweiz, die in Zeiten von Krisen und geopolitischen Spannungen eng mit #Europa zusammenarbeitet. Wir lassen uns die Zukunft der Schweiz nicht von Abschottern diktieren.
Unterschreibe jetzt: https://t.co/MO5HX42H7u pic.twitter.com/GDp3Ym9Bkn
— Operation Libero (@operationlibero) April 2, 2024
READ ALSO: What does Switzerland want from the EU?
SWISS airline to maintain its Geneva - Zurich flights
Despite repeated complaints that the 30-minute flight between Switzerland’s two largest cities is bad for the environment and should be completely replaced by a train service, the airline has no plans to give up this route.
“We want to optimally connect French-speaking Switzerland to our network,” SWISS' head Dieter Vranckx reiterated in an interview.
The air shuttle service, which operates several times a day, is intended for passengers from the French-speaking part of Switzerland who are making a connection to international flights in Zurich.
Swiss Alps helicopter crash claims three lives
Three people were killed and three others injured in a helicopter crash Tuesday on the Petit Combin mountain Valais.
The B3-type helicopter crashed at a landing site during a heliski drop-off, the cantonal police said.
Two injured people were quickly treated before being airlifted to hospital in Sion. A third person was subsequently also rescued, while three others were killed.
READ ALSO: Three killed in Swiss Alps helicopter crash
Discount retailers have cheapest organic products
Organic fruit, vegetables, and dairy products are typically more expensive than their ‘regular’ versions.
But according to a new survey carried out by the University of Applied Sciences of Northwest Switzerland, organic products are much cheaper at discounters like Aldi and Lidl than at Migros and Coop.
Imported organic products, but also Swiss milk, yogurt, eggs and carrots “cost significantly less” at these discounters, the survey found.
On the other hand, Migros and Coop offer a wider variety of organic goods than their rivals — though at a higher cost.
Switzerland wants to include yodelling on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list
The Federal Office of Culture has applied to register this tradition on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the government announced on Tuesday.
“After an evaluation procedure which will last nearly 18 months, UNESCO could decide at the end of 2025 to inscribe this tradition on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” the government added.
If it does, yodelling will join other Swiss traditions, such as the Winegrowers' Festival, Basel Fasnacht, and the mountain pasture season on the coveted international list.
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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Initiative launched to strengthen ties between Switzerland and the EU
Bern and Brussels are currently in the midst of bilateral negotiations, but a pro-European group in Switzerland, Operation Libero, wants the relationship between the two sides to go even further.
On Tuesday, the organisation launched a popular initiative seeking to anchor Switzerland’s ties with the European Union in the constitution.
Specifically, the initiative is pushing for a constitutional amendment to mandate “participation in the freedoms of the European internal market and in other areas of European cooperation.”
Die Europa-Initiative ist lanciert🚀 Wir wollen eine starke Schweiz, die in Zeiten von Krisen und geopolitischen Spannungen eng mit #Europa zusammenarbeitet. Wir lassen uns die Zukunft der Schweiz nicht von Abschottern diktieren.
— Operation Libero (@operationlibero) April 2, 2024
Unterschreibe jetzt: https://t.co/MO5HX42H7u pic.twitter.com/GDp3Ym9Bkn
READ ALSO: What does Switzerland want from the EU?
SWISS airline to maintain its Geneva - Zurich flights
Despite repeated complaints that the 30-minute flight between Switzerland’s two largest cities is bad for the environment and should be completely replaced by a train service, the airline has no plans to give up this route.
“We want to optimally connect French-speaking Switzerland to our network,” SWISS' head Dieter Vranckx reiterated in an interview.
The air shuttle service, which operates several times a day, is intended for passengers from the French-speaking part of Switzerland who are making a connection to international flights in Zurich.
Swiss Alps helicopter crash claims three lives
Three people were killed and three others injured in a helicopter crash Tuesday on the Petit Combin mountain Valais.
The B3-type helicopter crashed at a landing site during a heliski drop-off, the cantonal police said.
Two injured people were quickly treated before being airlifted to hospital in Sion. A third person was subsequently also rescued, while three others were killed.
READ ALSO: Three killed in Swiss Alps helicopter crash
Discount retailers have cheapest organic products
Organic fruit, vegetables, and dairy products are typically more expensive than their ‘regular’ versions.
But according to a new survey carried out by the University of Applied Sciences of Northwest Switzerland, organic products are much cheaper at discounters like Aldi and Lidl than at Migros and Coop.
Imported organic products, but also Swiss milk, yogurt, eggs and carrots “cost significantly less” at these discounters, the survey found.
On the other hand, Migros and Coop offer a wider variety of organic goods than their rivals — though at a higher cost.
Switzerland wants to include yodelling on UNESCO’s cultural heritage list
The Federal Office of Culture has applied to register this tradition on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the government announced on Tuesday.
“After an evaluation procedure which will last nearly 18 months, UNESCO could decide at the end of 2025 to inscribe this tradition on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” the government added.
If it does, yodelling will join other Swiss traditions, such as the Winegrowers' Festival, Basel Fasnacht, and the mountain pasture season on the coveted international list.
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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