Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The Swiss federal government has accused the Federal Tax Administration of failing to keep a close eye on the cantons. As a result, Switzerland loses around CHF600 million ($749.8 million) in tax revenue every year.
And a proposal from the Swiss Teachers' Association has sparked controversy: parents should be obliged to attend courses on how to use social media.
Best wishes from Bern,
Trust is good, control is better. In the view of the federal government, the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has not paid enough attention to this principle. As a result, the Swiss governments loses a great deal of money every year.
Around CHF600 million ($749.8 million): that is the amount the Swiss federal government loses annually, according to an expert quoted by SRF News. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (FAO) has criticised the FTA for not taking its supervisory role over cantonal tax audits seriously enough. Errors can therefore go unnoticed for years, leading to massive tax shortfalls, running into millions.
It cites cantons Geneva and Thurgau, where software problems or failures to issue provisional invoices were not detected for long periods.
The FAO also criticises the lack of focus on high-revenue cantons and FTA instructions that leave too much room for interpretation. The FTA has expressed understanding and announced a comprehensive review of its supervisory practices and cooperation with the cantons.
Instead of banning mobile phones, Swiss teachers want parents to learn how to handle social media by taking compulsory courses.
Instagram, TikTok and artificial intelligence: children in Switzerland, as elsewhere, are often overwhelmed by the digital world. Studies show that almost all young people aged 12 and over have a mobile phone, and some cantons have already introduced smartphone bans in schools.
In a position paper, the Swiss Teachers’ Association proposes mandatory courses for parents of primary-school children to strengthen their social media skills. As SRF News reports, the courses are intended as an alternative to bans and aim to support tighter regulation of social media.
But the proposal goes too far for many. Teachers welcome more parental involvement in principle, but object to making attendance compulsory. Political circles also question whether such a measure would be realistically enforceable.
The Geneva branch of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party wants to withdraw municipality-level voting rights from foreign residents. The initiative comes after suspected electoral fraud in Vernier, canton Geneva.
Since 2005, foreign nationals in canton Geneva have been allowed to vote in local elections and referendums. Now the cantonal section of the People’s Party wants to launch a constitutional initiative to abolish this right. This follows the rejection of a similar bill in the Geneva cantonal parliament in November.
The initiative was announced just three days after municipal elections in Vernier were suspended for the second time because of suspected electoral irregularities. While the party president denies any direct connection, other members point to the context. Former parliamentarian Yves Nidegger told Swiss public television, RTS, that Vernier has an especially high share of long-term foreign residents.
Opponents accuse the party of political instrumentalisation. They argue that voting rights strengthen integration and belonging among the canton’s foreign-resident population (over 40% of total).
Finally, on a lighter note: who was Switzerland’s most-Googled person this year?
On March 12, 2025, the Swiss parliament elected a new member of the federal government: Martin Pfister. According to Google’s Year in Review, the new defence minister topped search queries across the country.
Comedian Hazel Brugger, who gained international attention as co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in May, came second, according to 20 Minutes.
Motocycle racer Noah Dettwiler was also among the most-searched people after his serious accident during training for the Malaysian Grand Prix. He is now out of danger and undergoing rehabilitation in Switzerland.
It remains unclear how search trends differed between Switzerland’s four language regions.
The Advent calendar of Swiss Oddities
Every day until December 24, our newsletter features a surprise article from our Swiss Oddities series – interesting, unusual and sometimes bizarre stories from Switzerland.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva/sb
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