More Is your bikini fish-friendly? Research reveals how fabrics shed microplastics Is your bikini fish-friendly? Research reveals how fabrics shed microplastics This content was published on Aug 6, 2020 Aug 6, 2020 Scientists from two Swiss institutes have been investigating what happens when synthetic fabrics are washed.
More How have Swiss apprentices fared during the pandemic? This content was published on Aug 6, 2020 Aug 6, 2020 Thousands of teenagers started apprenticeships this week. Statistics show that 90% of training places have been filled, despite the corona crisis.
More Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland This content was published on Aug 6, 2020 Aug 6, 2020 After imposing strict restrictions, Switzerland has eased measures. But since mid-June there has been a rise in new cases.
More Changes at SWI: We want to hear about your expertise and experiences This content was published on Aug 5, 2020 Aug 5, 2020 This is what we do to ensure that your contributions are not just footnotes to our articles.
More Will proposed tax deductions for families with kids benefit mainly the rich? This content was published on Aug 5, 2020 Aug 5, 2020 A fact check of the main objection left-leaning parties have to proposed tax breaks that Swiss voters are to approve in a September referendum.
Switzerland – a two-tier democracy Foreigners, who make up a quarter of the 8.6 million people in Switzerland, still have no political rights at national level.
More Are ten days of paternity leave too much or not enough? This content was published on Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020 Why the statutory ten-day paternity leave in Switzerland has been challenged to a nationwide vote.
Join the discussion Swiss abroad Dale Bechtel If you’ve been unable to travel to Switzerland recently, what do you miss most? Travel restrictions introduced during the pandemic have severely limited the number of visitors able to come to Switzerland from abroad.
More Media slam ‘Federal Office of Cock-ups’ for Covid data confusion This content was published on Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020 Swiss newspapers have not minced their words after the health office got its numbers seriously wrong about the source of coronavirus infections.
More How will the pandemic influence Switzerland’s upcoming votes? This content was published on Aug 3, 2020 Aug 3, 2020 The pandemic has left its mark on almost all areas of life in Switzerland. How will it weigh on national votes in September?
More What’s the controversy around planned tax breaks for childcare? This content was published on Aug 3, 2020 Aug 3, 2020 Parliament has agreed on measures to alleviate the tax burden on parents. Opponents argue it gives well-off families an unfair advantage.
More A stroll through Swiss history at Geneva’s Cemetery of Kings This content was published on Aug 2, 2020 Aug 2, 2020 The Cimetière des Rois is the oldest existing cemetery in Geneva. Its graves hold many of the figures who shaped modern Switzerland.
How far is Switzerland in decriminalising drugs? Switzerland stands out for its innovative approach to the problem of drug addiction.
More The steep, wild valley of hanging meadows This content was published on Jul 31, 2020 Jul 31, 2020 Bavona Valley, one of the steepest and remotest valleys in the Swiss Alps, has been chosen as the theme for the 2020 “Chocolate Dollar".
Old houses tell Switzerland's story This content was published on Nov 17, 2018 Nov 17, 2018 Historically, rural Swiss dwellings displayed a diversity of styles, depending on the local geography and building materials available. A look at...
Rebel chic: a Swiss view of a post-war generation This content was published on Nov 14, 2018 Nov 14, 2018 In the late 1950s photographer Karlheinz Weinberger focused his camera on Switzerland’s postwar generation of misfits and young rebels.
Gory glory! In the ring with Switzerland’s boxing champs This content was published on Jul 15, 2017 Jul 15, 2017 In the early years of the 20th century, boxing was booming in Paris. On the front line was the Swiss former world champion Frank Erne.
Annemarie Schwarzenbach: on desolate roads heading east This content was published on Nov 24, 2017 Nov 24, 2017 Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Swiss author and photographer Annemarie Schwarzenbach travelled to the Middle East.
More Bally keeps in step with the times This content was published on Oct 12, 2019 Oct 12, 2019 A region in northern Switzerland lived and worked in harmony with the Bally shoe factory. The rest as they say is history.
More Cartoons and speech bubbles tell Swiss history Cartoons and speech bubbles tell Swiss history This content was published on Aug 1, 2020 Aug 1, 2020 Comic strips telling historical stories are on the rise in Switzerland.
More Nuns: powerful women of the Middle Ages This content was published on Jul 21, 2020 Jul 21, 2020 An exhibition now on at the Swiss National Museum looks at how ecclesiastical women lived in the Middle Ages, and the opportunities open to them.
Dale Bechtel How Swiss staycationers are scouting out your next Alpine getaway This content was published on Jul 31, 2020 Jul 31, 2020 If you’re reading this and don’t reside in Europe, chances are you’re not going to make it to Switzerland this year. Now for the good news.
How easy is it for foreign students to study in Swiss universities? Swiss universities are increasingly popular with foreign students, but it's hard for many of them to stay.
More Exiled Iraqi journalist: 'I am almost a member of Swiss society' This content was published on Jul 17, 2020 Jul 17, 2020 An Iraqi journalist who fled to Switzerland speaks about her former life in Baghdad and why her current life is sometimes isolating.
Covid-19 vaccine: when, and for whom? This content was published on Jul 26, 2020 Jul 26, 2020 It’s the question we all want an answer to: when will there be a vaccine against Covid-19? And how is fair access being negotiated?
A new Swiss generation, captured on an old camera This content was published on Jul 13, 2020 Jul 13, 2020 Swiss journalist and photographer Jean-Claude Péclet uses his trusty 1938 Rolleiflex black and white camera to highlight passionate young people.
More What remains of Swiss democracy after Covid-19 measures? This content was published on May 22, 2020 May 22, 2020 Parliament was cancelled. A referendum was postponed. The government ruled alone by emergency decree. Where does that leave direct democracy?
More Should we draw lots for fairer elections? This content was published on Jun 26, 2019 Jun 26, 2019 Two researchers from the University of Lausanne have been studying the notion of chance in politics.
More How to motivate young adults to participate in politics This content was published on Aug 10, 2018 Aug 10, 2018 Voter turnout among young adults is well below the population average. We discover the true political interests of young people.
More What is federalism? This content was published on Sep 7, 2018 Sep 7, 2018 In Switzerland, state power is spread over three levels: the federal government, the 26 cantons and the 2,222 municipalities.
More Making your voice heard in a democracy This content was published on Sep 8, 2017 Sep 8, 2017 How do people find their political fit and motivation, particularly migrants?
More Politics: the tough task of educating the Swiss This content was published on Feb 22, 2019 Feb 22, 2019 Is it a surprise that it can be a challenge to promote political education even in a country with a highly developed system of direct democracy?
More How to serve up an initiative that is hard to digest This content was published on May 25, 2018 May 25, 2018 Some Swiss votes can be very technical and the need for independent viewpoints is vital. But experts can be incomprehensible and not very neutral.
More Citizens’ Juries – providing a neutral recommendation on voting issues This content was published on Dec 21, 2018 Dec 21, 2018 Switzerland plans to test the use of a citizens’ jury whereby a few randomly selected citizens provide a balanced assessment of voting issues.
More How to implement successful people's initiatives This content was published on Oct 13, 2017 Oct 13, 2017 After the people vote in favour of an initiative, parliament gets to work. How do they make new decisions compatible with existing laws?
More When you cast your vote far from home This content was published on Aug 18, 2017 Aug 18, 2017 Why do the Swiss abroad vote differently from the Swiss at home? An expert takes a closer look at the political profile of the Swiss diaspora.
