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Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
I recently laughed at a friend for buying yet another pair of hiking trousers. Today, I realised he is right on trend – and that I, on the other hand, have some catching up to do.
Meanwhile, after three weeks of intense debate, the parliamentary winter session came to an end today without any major surprises. The 2026 budget has been finalised – and, as usual, the parties are (un)satisfied with different elements.
Enjoy the read!
The winter session of the Swiss parliament ended today. After three weeks of back-and-forth between the House of Representatives and the Senate, both chambers have approved the 2026 budget.
Reactions vary along party lines. Social Democrat parliamentarian Sarah Wyss told Swiss public broadcaster SRF that conservatives had largely prevailed: “Agriculture and the army have been boosted, while personnel and development aid have had to bleed.” In her view, it is clearly a centre-right budget.
Centre Party president Yvonne Bürgin sees it differently. “The left also got something,” she said, pointing to funding secured for family organisations, child protection services, Tox-Info and campaigns to prevent violence against women.
As part of the budget debate, subsidies worth CHF10 million ($12.5 million) for a night train to Malmö were scrapped. However, the money will not be saved, SRF notes. The funds were to come from a special pot financed by airlines through emissions charges. Following the decision, all of the money will now go back to aviation.
Several cities now want to step in. In Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lausanne, initiatives are planned to ensure that municipalities cover the night-train subsidies rejected by the federal parliament, reports the Tages Anzeiger.
Mob-wife aesthetics, knitted layering or frilly romance? If these terms make you frown, you’re in good company in Switzerland.
All three describe fashion trends for 2025 – but according to Zalando’s Trend Review 2025, something else is clearly trending in Switzerland: hiking wear.
After narrow-soled trainers and handbag charms, demand for outdoor clothing has surged, particularly in Switzerland. Compared with other European markets, Zalando told the Tages Anzeiger that Swiss customers shop “more often than average” in the sports category. In Zurich, demand rose by 300%, taking into account both search queries and purchases.
One reason is that more people are simply going hiking. At the same time, every activity now comes with its own look. Outfits are expected to be both practical and stylish. Outdoor items such as hiking boots are also increasingly worn in everyday urban life, writes the Tages Anzeiger. So heading straight into the city after a hike? Perfectly on trend.
If you’re planning to hit the slopes over the festive season, you may need the right outfit. More importantly, though, you’ll need snow – and that is currently in short supply.
Even at higher altitudes, snow is lacking. The reason is a “typical combination of a natural extreme, as has always existed, and global warming,” says climatologist Christoph Marty from the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos, quoted by CH Media. Early winters have often been dry, but when precipitation now falls, it increasingly comes as rain rather than snow due to warmer temperatures.
For ski resorts, this means relying on snow cannons. However, slopes made almost entirely of artificial snow pose risks – both for the environment and for skiers. As CH Media reports, artificial snow is linked to a rise in serious skiing accidents.
Artificial snow is denser and harder than natural snow, increasing the risk of injury. It also tends to melt during the day and refreeze quickly at night, with accidents occurring mainly in the afternoon when the snow becomes heavy.
That said, artificial snow should not be blamed for everything. “The greatest risk remains people,” Suva media spokeswoman Regina Pinna-Marfurt told CH Media. “Nine out of ten snow sports accidents are self-inflicted.”
Switzerland is known as a high-price island. A new comparison by the Federal Statistical Office shows just how it fares internationally.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), prices in Switzerland were on average more than 80% higher than in the EU in 2024, reports the Basler Zeitung. Consumers in Switzerland pay significantly more for items such as meat, shoes and cars, while smartphones and laptops are cheaper.
Healthcare costs are particularly striking: inpatient services in hospitals and clinics are more than three times as expensive as in the EU. Education and housing cost more than twice as much.
For the comparison, statistical offices analysed local prices for comparable baskets of goods. In total, more than 2,000 products and services were examined. The higher prices are partly offset by higher wages: in 2024, the gross median wage in Switzerland was CHF7,024 ($8,820.6), compared with an EU-wide average of around CHF3,000.
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
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