Last weekend, around 300 demonstrators gathered outside Syngenta’s chemical plant in Monthey, Switzerland, on Saturday as part of an international day of action against the agrochemical giant under the banner “Stop Pesticides”. Protests also took … [Read more...]
News and Features
Swiss parties submit referendum to preserve ban on new nuclear power plants
An alliance of left-wing and centrist parties has submitted more than 131,800 signatures in an effort to prevent Switzerland from lifting its ban on building new nuclear power plants, reported Greenpeace. Representatives of the Socialist Party … [Read more...]
Switzerland considers doubling police detention period after Bern riots
Police want more time to investigate violent protests. Human-rights groups fear that suspects’ legal protections could suffer. A year after a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bern turned violent, Swiss lawmakers are moving to double the time … [Read more...]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read more...]
Swiss minister defends VAT rise to fund higher state pension
Swiss social affairs minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has defended a proposed increase in value-added tax (VAT) to help finance the 13th annual pension payment. Voters will decide on the measure in a referendum on November 29th. “A ‘no’ would … [Read more...]
Guides
15 things you should know about Swiss health insurance
It's health insurance season. Average premiums are increasing in 2018. Compulsory basic Swiss health insurance can generally only be changed once a year. To change you must notify your current provider by 30 November. This article explains the basics … [Read More...]
10-step guide to hiring an employee in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.business. For startups and small companies, hiring and onboarding new employees can be a real hassle. In Switzerland especially, there is a significant amount of admin to deal with. The following is a guide to all the … [Read More...]
Activities
Chaplin’s World – enter the home and life of a comic genius
Film legend Charlie Chaplin spent 24 years living in the Manoir de Ban, a grand old mansion above Vevey in Switzerland. In 2016, his charming former home and grounds were cleverly and artfully transformed into Chaplin’s World and opened to the … [Read more...]
Vaud’s vineyard touring and wine tasting season is fast approaching
The wine tasting season is approaching in Vaud, the Swiss canton stretching around the shores of Lake Geneva. With its six distinctive wine growing regions and eight appellations, Vaud is Switzerland’s second largest wine producing region. … [Read more...]
Lake Geneva’s beautiful paddlewheel boats – getting there is way more than half the fun
They say that “getting there is half the fun”. But sometimes it’s more. A lot more. For example: a Lake Geneva cruise on a grand historic paddlewheel steamboat. Destination? Who cares? On a recent gorgeous Sunday afternoon, I, your intrepid … [Read more...]
