Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Those who marry in Switzerland will once again be able to choose a double surname. Parliament’s recent decision puts an end to a years-long debate.
Parliamentary discussions on the government's "savings package 27", which has been reduced by about one-third, have also concluded. But the debate over further savings is far from over, the finance minister has warned.
We end with a look at the intense period the Swiss ambassador in Iran has just gone through.
Happy reading!
The surname saga for married couples and those in registered partnerships is finally over. It will once again be possible to choose a double surname. The House of Representatives and the Senate have settled their last differences.
Until 2013, only women could opt for a double surname, and its abolition was welcomed as a step towards gender equality. The idea of reintroducing it was first raised four years later. With the revision of the civil code approved yesterday by the Senate, a solution has now been found that offers more freedom of choice for couples tying the knot.
Take the example of a hypothetical marriage between Mr Müller and Ms Rossi. Both will be able to keep their own surnames or adopt their partner’s. They may also choose, together or individually, a double surname: Müller-Rossi or Rossi-Müller, with or without a hyphen. In the event of divorce, a person may keep their former partner’s surname and “transfer” it to a new marriage. Ms Müller, née Rossi, marrying Mr Favre could thus become Ms Müller-Favre, and Mr Favre could also decide to take the surname Müller.
To avoid increasingly long surnames over generations, children will not be allowed to bear a double surname, but only the single surname of one parent. The entry into force of the reform will be determined by the Swiss federal government. During a transitional period, couples married after 2013 will be able to adopt a double surname.
The parliamentary debate over the federal government’s “savings package 27” has come to an end. The two chambers have reduced the planned savings over the next three years to CHF5.3 billion ($6.74 billion), compared to CHF8.5 billion originally proposed by the government.
The measures were mainly intended to offset planned spending on the army and the 13th old-age and survivors’ (AHV/AVS) pension payment. Agriculture was largely spared from the cuts and is considered the main winner, writes Le Temps.
The foreign mandate of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), through which Swissinfo is partly financed, was also dropped from the savings measures, as was the CHF400,000 annual contribution to the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad.
The Greens have now announced that they will not launch a referendum against the package. Thanks to the threat of bringing the issue before voters, parliament corrected its course in the most affected sector – climate policy – said party president Lisa Mazzone.
However, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has already warned of a structural deficit of almost CHF600 million in 2027. She said the government would present new proposals during the winter budget session to address this. “It is therefore likely that we will soon return to negotiations on some expenditures that have been rejected today,” Keller-Sutter said.
So-called “forever chemicals”, aka PFAS, are present almost everywhere in Swiss soil, according to a study. PFAS were detected in 99% of more than 1,000 soil samples analysed.
These results are “worrying”, write the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, which conducted the study on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Particularly high levels were found in areas where fire-fighting foam or sewage sludge had been used.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) include thousands of synthetic chemical compounds. They are extremely persistent and practically non-biodegradable. Some have already been banned or classified as substances of concern, both in Switzerland and in other countries.
According to the federal government, and in line with the precautionary principle, PFAS “should only be used for applications that are indispensable for society. Their release into the environment must be kept as low as possible,” FOEN states on its website.
Olivier Bangerter, Switzerland’s ambassador to Iran, has been repatriated to Switzerland for security reasons. He spoke to Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF about the outbreak of the conflict and his return following the closure of the embassy in Tehran.
On February 28, when missiles began to fall on the capital, “we were surprised – we did not expect it to start during the day. But work immediately took precedence: first ensuring the safety of staff […] and then setting up a crisis management system”.
Before leaving the embassy last week, documents were destroyed in line with protocol. “It takes time, and it is nothing ‘glamorous’. For hard disks, the process involves using a hammer and a drill,” he said.
After a “risky but well-planned” ten-hour overland journey, Bangerter and other staff members reached Azerbaijan before returning to Switzerland.
Several Iranian staff members remain on site, but contact with them has become increasingly difficult, as internet access in the country has largely stopped working since Sunday. “But we have other ways of getting messages to them,” the ambassador said. To ensure their safety, several months’ salary have been paid in advance so that those who wish can move to safer areas outside Tehran. “Some did, others decided to stay.”
Translated using AI/amva
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