Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
It’s not just the calendar that’s telling us another year is coming to an end: in the media, there are plenty of reviews of the big events of 2025 and predictions for 2026; social media is also full of pictures and videos showing more personal highs and lows.
In the Swiss town of Moutier, meanwhile, midnight not only marks the turn of the year; at 12am, it officially becomes part of canton Jura, leaving canton Bern behind. Celebrations are planned – even if not everyone is happy with the switch.
Enjoy the read, and Happy New Year!
While many places merely celebrate the transition into a new year tonight, the last chime of the bell at midnight in Moutier heralds a change of canton.
Moutier will switch from canton Bern to canton Jura on January 1, a change which will be celebrated with a torchlight procession, a banquet and a light and sound show. Organisers expect several thousand people to attend this “night for the history books”.
Citizens in Moutier voted in favour of the change in a referendum in March 2021 – with 54.9% in favour. Those who were in favour of the switch are likely also the ones who will turn up to celebrate tonight; despite the democratic decision, rifts still run deep.
Moutier’s mayor, Marcel Winistoerfer from the Centre party, is well aware that a minority is still not in favour of the shift. “There are fewer and fewer of them, but there are still 40% of people to convince,” he told the Le Temps newspaper. This requires time, patience and sensitivity, Winistoerfer said.
Fog – and griping about it – is as integral to autumn and winter in Switzerland as bread is to fondue. But the number of misty days has actually been falling.
Over the last 30 years, fog has become rarer, data from forecasters at MeteoSwiss shows. For example, between 1971 and 1980, the average at the Geneva-Cointrin measuring station was around 30 foggy days per year; between 2010 and 2020, it was around 16 days. Other stations have also recorded fewer foggy days.
It should be noted that a day is considered foggy by researchers if mist occurred during one of three observations at morning, midday or evening. A day that was only foggy in the morning and sunny at midday is therefore included in the stats.
According to the experts, there are several reasons why fog has been occurring less frequently, including changing weather conditions, better air quality and increasing urbanisation, writes the daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste.
Despite stricter customs conditions, the practice of shopping tourism – taking a trip across the border to buy – is booming in Switzerland.
This is despite the fact that the government lowered the tax-free limit for purchases made abroad to CHF150 ($189) a year ago.
According to a study by the University of St Gallen, cross-border shopping has increased by 10% since 2022. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security has also noted a significant increase in customs clearances made via the Quickzoll app: from 38,000 in the first half of 2024 to 88,000 in the same period this year.
Not everyone is happy about it: the influx of shoppers heading to France, for example, has a negative impact on certain businesses in Switzerland, RTS reports. As a result, Swiss retail associations are reportedly considering new measures to counteract the trend.
While many in Switzerland are currently navigating a route down red and black ski slopes, another group of youths – including five asylum seekers – are training on cross-country trails at the Swiss Youth Cross-Country Ski Camp.
The initiative, run by canton Lucerne, took place for the first time as a pilot project in 2024 and has now become permanent. “Demand is high,” says Ladina Käppeli, who accompanies the refugees. Around 60 young asylum seekers registered to take part this year, before the final handful was chosen by lottery.
A total of 140 children and youths are currently training at the camp in Engelberg, canton Obwalden. The young asylum seekers are not only out and about on the cross-country trails, but are also integrated into the overall programme.
This works, even if their German is not yet good, explains Käppeli. “That’s the great thing about young people – everything is fast and uncomplicated. And they understand each other without many words.”
In the last week of 2025, we present some of our most read “Swiss Abroad” articles of the year. Today we take a look at the issue of retirement – both in Switzerland and abroad.
It’s not officially known how many Swiss retirees live half their life in Switzerland and half elsewhere. Such people either officially live in Switzerland or have registered with a consular representation and are considered to be living entirely abroad.
Although this ‘half-and-half’ lifestyle sounds nice, there are several aspects to consider. For example, two residences – one abroad and one in Switzerland – can often mean a multiplication of costs.
On top of issues like tax or health insurance, living between two worlds can mean not being fully rooted in one place. According to Swiss expat Daniel Schärer, it is important “to have trusted people in Switzerland and abroad to take care of emergencies when you are away and who you can ask for help locally”.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
