Switzerland Today

Snowy regards from Bern!

The winter markets have opened around Switzerland, the first snow has fallen and this Sunday is the first advent.

While it seems that Switzerland might be in luck for a white Christmas, the days may not be so merry and bright after the announcement of an increase in the mortgage reference rate.

So, to put a smile on your face, why not open the first door in our Swiss Films Advent Calendar. Behind this door: How to make a Swiss woman laugh.

But first a look at the news:

• International Red Cross confirms release of 19 Palestinian detainees: Operating under its neutral mandate, the ICRC oversees the release of Gaza-based hostages and Palestinians from Israeli detention centres.
• Swiss mortgage reference rate hits 1.75%,anticipating spring surge: The Federal Housing Office (BWO) is increasing the mortgage reference interest rate from 1.50% to 1.75%, according to a statement made today. Many rents are likely to rise again.
• Swiss Employers’ Association President, Severin Moser, says parents who rely on day care must increase their work commitment. Moser is fundamentally in favour of expanding state day-care funding, but “those who claim day-care centre support must also work more”.
• Swiss reptile populations plummet,amphibians struggle despite conservation efforts: The situation is particularly critical for the ring-necked snake and the Aesculapian snake.
• Swiss President demands quick action at COP28: Swiss President Alain Berset has described the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai as a “key moment”. The conference will take stock of the progress made under the Paris Agreement.
• Russian assets seized by Switzerland rises slightly:Switzerland has frozen an estimated CHF7.7 billion ($8.81 billion) in financial assets belonging to Russians, the government said on Friday, under sanctions designed to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

Students in canton Vaud may have a new language on the agenda: Swiss German!

Was meinsch?

Any non-Swiss Germans traveling through a Swiss-German canton in Switzerland, know that standard German will not get you far and will certainly not help you in making Swiss-German friends.

This awareness also extends to the French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. David Raedler, a Green Party parliamentarian for canton Vaud, recently put forward a postulate in the cantonal parliament calling for Swiss German to be taught alongside standard German in school.External link  For Raedler, this would help promote “national cohesion”.

He says this would also allow young adults to have more opportunities in the labour market as currently 63% of communication in the Swiss workplace takes place in Swiss German.

While many left-wing Vaud parliamentarians were in favour of his idea, many on the right criticised the proposal. Critics said that learning a Swiss-German dialect (of which there are many) should left to the individual. A politician for the right-wing Swiss People’s Party said the problem was not in learning Swiss German, but rather mastering standard German more proficiently.

The Head of the Department of Education and Vocational Training in canton Vaud, Frédéric Borloz, also rejected the idea of Swiss-German lessons, arguing that the schedules of students and teachers are already full and there has not been a high demand for Swiss-German lessons from students or parents.

Vaud parliamentarians this week passed Raedler’s postulate: 71 in favour and 67 against and two abstentions. His proposal now passes to the Vaud government, which must decide and then report how and when Swiss German courses can best be offered and if the courses would be voluntary or compulsory.

Behind the first door of the Swiss Film Selection advent calendar!

“Oh baby, it’s cold outside!”

The winter season means shorter, darker and colder days. Some call it “cuffing season”, or the time of year when single people actively search for short-term romantic partners to spend the colder months.

Have you ever wondered why the Swiss find it so hard to say, “I love you”?

While Switzerland has had a fair share of its dirty laundry – i.e., banking scandals – exposed in a spectacular fashion, the Swiss way still dictates privacy, and this extends to people’s personal lives. As SWI swissinfo journalist Thomas Stephens put it, “banking secrecy might have been taken away from the Swiss, but they’re hanging on to emotional secrecy”.

So, how do you make a Swiss woman laugh? Ask her whether Swiss men are good lovers.

This film selected just for you is the perfect way of spending the first day of December. It takes a humorous perspective of Swiss identity and evolution of love, sex and relationships in Switzerland between the 1960s and the 1990s.

Step into the warmth of Swiss storytelling this December. Unwrap the magic behind each door of our advent calendar, revealing a unique short film daily. With each film, we invite you to explore the intricacies of love, life and Swiss identity.

PLACEHOLDER