Calls mount for action over poverty in Switzerland
Products in a Caritas market for the poor in Zurich (archive picture)
Keystone
Officials have given the national programme against poverty, which finishes at the end of the year, a positive assessment. But there have been calls for more to be done. Funding is also an issue.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ilj
“There is still an enormous amount to do,” declared home affairs minister Alain Berset, at a conference held on Friday to mark the end of the programmeExternal link. Poverty is not acceptable in a country as rich as Switzerland, said Berset, who is also this year’s president.
There are currently 615,000 people living in poverty in Switzerland, which corresponds to 7.5% of the permanent resident population. Some 108,000 of the people affected are children.
The poverty line in SwitzerlandExternal link is defined as being CHF2,247 ($2,318) per month for an individual and CHF3,981 per month for a family with two adults and two children under 14 years old.
The anti-poverty programme, run by the federal government along with cantons, cities, municipalities, and non-governmental organisations, has made progress in the past five years, Berset said. It received a total of CHF9 million ($9.3 million) over that period.
But some goals had not been achieved, such as an online information platform for people affected by poverty and national monitoring of those affected, Berset pointed out.
Funding issue
The government will take on a supporting role in the next phase, which will be known as the national platform against poverty. There will also be less funding – it was announced in April that it would be reduced to CHF2.5 million over the next five years.
NGO CaritasExternal link has already criticised the reduction in funds and governmental input. In a statementExternal link released on August 27, it accused the government of distancing itself from poverty policy and passing on the responsibility to the cantons during the next phase.
Caritas has been calling efforts to ensure that poverty is reduced by half in Switzerland.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
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.
Read more
More
Switzerland to spend less on fighting poverty
This content was published on
The Swiss government has given a positive assessment of the national programme against poverty, but will allocate substantially less funding to it.
Long-term poverty in Switzerland is rare, report finds
This content was published on
Poverty is a temporary experience for most Swiss, with only 1% of the population considered “permanently poor”, according to a recent report.
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.