Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Christmas is just around the corner and like many other people we are nervously preparing to take a plane – we are off to visit my relatives in the UK. I’m somehow reminded of one of my favourite films: Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Geneva Airport is expecting 55,000 passengers on Christmas Eve – close to the pre-pandemic level – and there are strikes announced at airports in the UK.

But I hear the train situation is not much better. Swiss travellers taking TGVs to Paris may face disruption over Christmas we learned today. Safe journey wherever you are heading. Fingers crossed. I’m sure we’ll get there somehow.

Here are other stories from Switzerland on Friday, December 23.

Keystone / Martin Ruetschi

In the news: aid for Ukraine, lynx populations, Covid-19 sceptics and Swiss-Russian trade.

• Lorries loaded with humanitarianaid for Ukraineleft Switzerland for the war-torn country today. The consignment included 40 heaters and the same number of generators as the eastern European country prepares for winter.
• Monitoring of lynx populations in Switzerland has shown the wild cat still thriving since its reintroduction to the Alpine state. The KORA Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management organisation recorded 21 lynx inhabiting an area in the northwest canton of Jura.
• The Federal Court has rejectedExternal link an appeal by Covid-19 sceptics against a decision by a lower Bern court to ignore their criminal complaint against the national Covid-19 Science Task Force and its former president, Martin Ackermann. In May 2021, five associations and eight individuals filed a criminal complaint accusing them of spreading alarmist figures about the occupation of beds in intensive care units, hospital admissions and deaths.
• One of Switzerland’s largest energy companies, Alpiq, has outlined a range of threats to future power supply, including cyberattacks, life without Russian gas and Swiss exclusion from the European Union’s future energy market.
• The volume of trade between Switzerland and Russia has increased since the start of the Ukraine war, according to official figures. The Tages-Anzeiger newspaper found that exports have increased 19% while imports have risen 54% since the war began. Exports are dominated by pharmaceutical products, while imports is mainly gold, which is subject to specific Swiss sanctions.

© Keystone / Christian Beutler

Switzerland and France seal permanent cross-border telework deal.

The Covid-19 pandemic created a sudden need for businesses and employees to start or increase working from home. Since 2020, cross-border commuters from France who spent part of their time working from home have benefited from a special temporary tax arrangement under which they paid taxes in Switzerland.

This was due to expire on December 31. But officials have now agreedExternal link that from January 1, 2023, new permanent rules will be in force allowing cross-border workers to work remotely for up to 40% of their annual activity without any changes to the employee’s cross-border status or their existing tax arrangements. 

An estimated 370,000 cross-border workersExternal link are employed at Swiss-based firms but live in France (208,600), Italy (89,700), Germany (63,900) or Austria (8,600).

For cross-border workers, the development of teleworking represents “a change set to last”, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Financial Affairs (SFI) and the French Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a joint statementExternal link yesterday.

This negotiated solution constitutes a “balanced result reflecting the budgetary interests of the two states, the communities and the cantons concerned”, they declared.

An existing temporary agreement between Switzerland and Germany concerning cross-border workers and remote working has been extended until June 30, 2023. But a similar accord between Switzerland and Italy will not be extended after it expires on January 31, the Federal Tax Administration announcedExternal link yesterday.

© Keystone / Anthony Anex

Swiss ski holidays up to 10% more expensive.

Winter holidays inSwitzerland are well known for being pricey. But Swiss tourism officials estimate that this year higher energy costs and other inflationary pressures mean additional hotel, apartment and catering costs will result in a 5-10% increase in the price of a Swiss ski holiday.

But this is not putting off guests in the early part of the season. Resorts in the western canton of Valais, for example, told the Keystone-SDA Swiss News Agency that guestnumbers are up from last winter.

This is because foreign holiday makers are returning to Switzerland following the Covid-19 pandemic. Switzerland Tourism is forecasting overnight stays to rise by 1.5% from the 2021/2022 season as resorts welcome an anticipated 18% more overseas guests.

Skiers from Germany, Belgium and Britain are expected to lead the influx this winter, but guests from further-flung countries, apart from China, are also expected to increase. However, the number of Swiss skiers is expected to drop 6%, according to economic forecasters.