Switzerland News in English - Expat Guide to Switzerland

February 21, 2019

Algeria’s Bouteflika to head to Swiss hospital for ‘checks’

Algeria’s ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who is aiming for a fifth term in April elections, will head to Switzerland for “routine medical checks”, his office said Thursday. The 81-year-old will have a “short” stay in Geneva, it said in a…

February 21, 2019

Dangerous asylum seekers continue to remain in Switzerland

Of the 38 persons whose asylum applications were recommended for rejection by the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) in 2017, 34 still remain in the country. Most of them are still being processed under the asylum procedure, have initiated an…

February 21, 2019

Switzerland halts arms exports to Lebanon due to missing weapons

Inability to account for a Swiss shipment of weapons exported to Lebanon has resulted in a freeze of arms exports, authorities have announced. On Wednesday, the head of the Economics Ministry informed the government that exports of war materiel to…

February 21, 2019

Ties with EU become key issue for Swiss voters

Relations between Switzerland and the European Union are currently the most relevant issue for voters ahead of October’s parliamentary elections according to the latest opinion poll. The Green Party as well as the Liberal Greens look set to make the biggest…

February 21, 2019

Has UBS’s CHF5 billion legal gamble backfired?

UBS is refusing to sit back and lick its wounds after being hit with financial penalties totaling €4.5 billion (CHF5.1 billion) in France. By appealing the decision, has it bitten off more than it can chew? Or can it claw…

February 21, 2019

Declining trend of cross-border workers continues

The number of cross-border workers in Switzerland – except those from France – has dropped for the second consecutive quarter. This marks the second year-on-year decline by quarter in 20 years. According to numbers released by the Federal Statistical Office…

February 21, 2019

Can Greta’s generation make a mark on Swiss politics?

Protests over climate change have recently energised Swiss youth, who have taken to the streets numerous times over the past several months. But increased youth involvement in Swiss politics has been underway for a while. The young climate activists rallied…

February 21, 2019

Celebrated Swiss movie director Claude Goretta dies

Renowned Swiss film director Claude Goretta has died at the age of 89. Best known for his movies “L’Invitation” (1972) and “La Dentellière” (1977), Goretta – along with Alain Tanner and Michel Soutter – was part of a trio of…

February 21, 2019

Swiss school ski trips show signs of a comeback

How many children in Switzerland will be attending school ski camps this year? Although a court ruling raised fears of the tradition dying out, schools are managing to find workarounds and more students are taking part again. “Ski camps are…