Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Swiss politics takes centre stage in this final briefing of the week. The publication of the first poll on the November 29 votes by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and the deadline for nominations to succeed Economics Minister Guy Parmelin were among the most eagerly awaited events of recent days.
Both developments have provided some initial insights without resolving the uncertainty. The outcome of several initiatives remains unclear, while the race for the Federal Council post appears more wide open than ever following the emergence of eight possible candidates from the Swiss People's Party.
Enjoy the read!
On Friday, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) – Swissinfo’s parent company – published its first opinion poll ahead of the nationwide votes on November 29, when the Swiss will decide on four proposals.
The poll, carried out by the gfs.bern research institute, shows that the outcome remains very open. At this stage, only one of the four proposals appears to have a comfortable lead, while the other three remain shrouded by considerable uncertainty.
The proposal attracting the most support is the initiative to restrict noisy fireworks. If the vote were held today, 69% of those surveyed would support it. The Centre Party’s initiative for fairer taxation of married couples also has a lead, with 55% of respondents intending to vote in favour, compared with 34% against. However, this majority does not guarantee victory, as popular initiatives tend to lose ground as campaigns progress.
The situation is much less clear for the other two proposals. The proposed VAT increase to fund the 13th old-age and survivors’ insurance (OASI/AHV) pension payment is opposed by 49% of respondents. Meanwhile, the amendment to the War Materiel Act has the backing of 49% of voters.
The remaining weeks of the campaign are therefore likely to be decisive. Gfs.bern experts note that public opinion is still slowly taking shape on several of the vote proposals, leaving considerable room for both supporters and opponents to influence the final decisions.
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party has a wide range of candidates to choose from to succeed outgoing minister Guy Parmelin. By the deadline at midday on Friday, eight candidates had put themselves forward for a seat on the Federal Council.
Among the contenders are Céline Amaudruz from Geneva, French-speaking Bernese politician Pierre Alain Schnegg, Marco Chiesa from canton Ticino, Rémy Wyssmann from canton Solothurn, Thomas Aeschi from canton Zug, Michael Graber and Franz Ruppen from canton Valais, and Jean-Pierre Gallati from canton Aargau. The party now has a wide range of candidates to choose from, including federal parliamentarians and several experienced cantonal government figures.
This diversity reflects the different political currents and linguistic regions within the People’s Party. Candidates from French-speaking Switzerland are attracting particular attention, as the election of someone from German-speaking Switzerland or Ticino would reduce French-speaking representation in the federal government following the departure of Parmelin, who comes from canton Vaud.
Amaudruz’s candidacy is also attracting attention. As vice-president of the People’s Party, she is the only woman in the running and could become the first woman elected to the Federal Council as an official candidate of the party. However, her candidacy has reportedly caused reservations in certain People’s Party circles.
The race is still in a preliminary phase. Following hearings with the candidates, the party will finalise its shortlist on November 20. The election by parliament is scheduled for December 9.
Just Eat Switzerland plans to replace some of its employed delivery riders with self-employed couriers and external logistics partners. Several hundred of the 700 existing jobs could be lost as part of the reorganisation, although the exact number will only become clear in the coming weeks.
The announcement marks a major shift for the food delivery company. Until now, Just Eat Switzerland had been something of an exception in the platform economy by directly employing its delivery riders, unlike many of its competitors. However, the company now believes it needs a more flexible model to adapt to changing consumer habits.
The transition will not affect the whole country. In French-speaking Switzerland, delivery riders are expected to retain their status as employees, particularly because of court rulings in cantons Vaud and Geneva.
Trade unions have criticised the shift towards the Uber Eats model and fear an increase in cases of “bogus self-employment”. In their view, Just Eat had so far demonstrated that a delivery platform could operate with employees enjoying standard social protections. The restructuring therefore reignites the debate over working conditions in the platform economy.
After four months of exceptional drought, the situation is finally beginning to improve in French-speaking Switzerland. For the first time since late June, the Federal Office for the Environment has lowered the drought alert level in the Lake Geneva and Jura Arc regions from level 4 to level 2. Recent rainfall has helped improve soil moisture and river levels.
However, Switzerland is not out of the woods yet. Much of the country remains affected by severe drought, particularly in German-speaking regions, where Rhine water levels remain exceptionally low. Authorities reckon that a full return to normal will still require significant rainfall over the winter.
The improvement in French-speaking regions has been accompanied by a dramatic change of scenery in the mountains. Following an unusually warm start to autumn, snow has returned to the Alpine peaks. Several mountain passes, including the Furka, Grimsel, Nufenen and Gotthard, have had to close, while further snowfall is expected in the coming days.
Translated from French, sub-edited by Alexandra MV Andrist/sb
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