Swiss protest against rising health insurance premiums
About one thousand people marched through the streets of Geneva on Saturday to protest against the continuous increase in health insurance premiums, according to Swiss public television RTS.
Similar rallies took place in other cities of French-speaking Switzerland and in the southern region of Ticino.
In Geneva, this is the third protest of this kind in a year. The demonstrations are led by Patricia Leoz and Joelle Combremont, two mothers with no political affiliation, who first launched their appeal on social media networks.
“We demand that the situation, which has become unbearable, be considered an emergency,” they said to the applause of demonstrators. “Excessive health insurance premiums are a burden on the budgets of many households.”
In Lausanne, more than 100 people demonstrated against what they consider to be an unfair and unequal health system.
“Our health is not a commodity,” read protest banners there.
Switzerland introduced compulsary health insurance in 1996. Since then, the average premium has increased by 3.9% per year.
In contrast, the projected cost of compulsory health insurance premiums in Switzerland is expected to increase by an average of 1.2% next year.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.