I write about demographic developments, societal trends and debates in Switzerland.
I joined SWI swissinfo.ch after 15 years at a local newspaper in Zurich.
Renters who land a publicly owned flat in Zurich hit the jackpot
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Thousands of residents benefit from Zurich’s low-cost municipal housing. But not all tenants actually meet the city’s eligibility criteria.
How Switzerland became liberal on abortion – without noticing
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From 2027 Swiss health insurers will cover the full cost of abortions. The change passed through parliament almost unnoticed.
Surgery for trans adolescents: the laws in Switzerland
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Swiss politicians are discussing a ban on gender reassignment surgery for under-18s. We explain what rights parents and children have.
Green promises: the two faces of the Swiss cement giant Holcim
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On the very day Holcim is fighting against a climate lawsuit in a court in Zug, the Swiss cement company is promoting its Net Zero plans at a congress just a few kilometres down the road.
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Home loans are cheap in Switzerland. There are good sides and bad sides to this. Here is what you need to know about mortgages in Switzerland.
Flat-hunting in Switzerland’s cheapest and most expensive municipalities
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The town of Le Locle in the Jura and the municipality of Kilchberg on Lake Zurich are 2.5 hours' drive apart – and thousands of francs per square metre.
How retiring baby boomers could crash Swiss property market
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If baby boomers sell their homes, the property market could collapse. Can younger generations hope for plummeting prices?
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With high immigration and not enough new houses and flats being built, Switzerland’s housing shortage is getting worse. Just how severe is the problem?
Zurich: Welcome to the world capital of housing shortages!
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In Zurich, only seven out of 10,000 apartments are vacant on average – the lowest rate in Switzerland and probably in the Western world.
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
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In Switzerland, all deaths through assisted suicide must be followed by a medical and legal investigation. This entails considerable costs for the state.
After the first ‘Sarco pod’ death, will Switzerland introduce stricter rules for assisted suicide?
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The first death to come about using the Sarco capsule has reignited debate on whether assisted dying should be more tightly regulated in Switzerland.
Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman
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Chris Brönimann became Nadia just before the turn of the millennium. Now Switzerland's most famous transgender figure is publicly grappling with regret over that choice.
How film and literature have influenced the acceptance of assisted suicide
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Powerful stories of assisted dying are etched in our collective memory. Now, a research project from Switzerland is gathering artistic works on the subject.
