Switzerland Today
Dear readers,
There is a good chance you are reading this on a mobile phone. What kind of device are you using? Here you can find out whether you're with the majority or an outlier.
Also in the news are concerns ahead of the G7 summit, expansion plans for a Swiss tourism flagship and the latest decisions by parliament.
Enjoy your reading!
The authorities in Geneva are already bracing for demonstrations planned around the G7 summit in Evian, France in June 2026. A protest “against fascism and imperialism” has been announced in Geneva on June 14. There are fears of a repeat of the violence seen during the 2003 G8 summit, a trauma that still lingers.
The government of canton Geneva is asking France to host the demonstrations on its territory. Councillor Carole-Anne Kast, who is responsible for public safety, points out that Geneva is not involved in organising the G7 and should not bear the risks alone. “We believe that a summit of this magnitude should take place while also allowing democratic dissent, and that it is up to the organising countries to ensure this,” she said.
For now, Paris has not given a clear response to Geneva’s request, and negotiations are ongoing. “We haven’t had a response, and that’s a point of dissatisfaction,” Kast said, adding that the authorities are “a little frustrated”.
At the same time, Switzerland is preparing a major security operation. In January, the Swiss government approved the deployment of up to 5,000 troops to support civilian authorities. The army will be deployed on land, on Lake Geneva and in the air, in coordination with French forces.
The project to extend the Cailler chocolate museum in Broc has reached a new stage. The Gruyère Chocolate association has presented an updated version of the future Cailler Chocolate Park, confirming that the project will be put out to public consultation by the end of March. This marks a turning point after four years of preparation and now it is up to the authorities to do their bit.
The project involves an investment of CHF400 million ($505.5 million) to transform the site into an immersive destination retracing the history of cocoa and milk chocolate. It includes a cable car linking the park to an off-site underground car park, as well as a 26-metre-high tropical greenhouse shaped like cocoa beans, inside which real cocoa trees will grow.
The extension would increase the footprint from 2,000 to 30,000 m². However, the initial concept has been scaled back. Consultations with the Swiss government, canton Fribourg, the municipality of Broc and environmental organisations have led to adjustments to ensure compliance with legal and environmental requirements.
The Maison Cailler Museum is already one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist attractions, and the expansion aims to strengthen this position. The goal is to attract one million visitors per year and reinforce the site’s role as a key destination for the Gruyère region and Switzerland as a whole.
A new study by Comparis shows that Switzerland is a distinctive smartphone market by international standards. One striking feature is the prominence of the iPhone. In a world dominated by Android devices, Apple reached a symbolic milestone in 2025, with nearly one adult in two (49.3%) using iOS. Switzerland thus stands out by resembling the US model than its European neighbours.
Another notable aspect is how much Swiss consumers are willing to spend on a phone. In 2025, the average budget was CHF574 ($725), up 11% compared with 2020. Alongside the dominance of Apple products, the strong presence of Samsung (37.2% market share), the rapid rise of Google’s Pixel and the decline of Chinese brands all point to a market that remains firmly premium-oriented.
However, rising prices are also influencing consumer behaviour. While people are spending more on devices, they are also keeping them for longer: 65% of respondents said they now hold on to their phones longer than before. The share of users keeping a phone for four years or more has risen from 8.9% in 2020 to 15.7% last year.
Loyalty remains strong: 91.8% of iPhone users intend to buy another iPhone, and Android users also tend to stick with their platform. In a market where prices are rising and ecosystems are increasingly closed, switching brands remains a step most Swiss consumers are reluctant to take.
The spring parliamentary session is drawing to a close. It has been decided that Swiss neutrality will not be further defined in the Constitution. Today, the House of Representatives and the Senate accepted a conciliation proposal to drop a direct counter-proposal to the neutrality initiative. The Senate ultimately aligned with the House of Representatives.
The Senate agreed not to submit a direct counter-proposal to the popular initiative “Safeguard Swiss neutrality”, which calls, among other things, for Switzerland not to join any defence alliance or impose economic sanctions outside a UN framework. However, both the House of Representatives and the government argued that a constitutional amendment was unnecessary, as current practice remains unchanged.
The House of Representatives also addressed overcrowding in hospital emergency departments. It approved the principle of a CHF50 ($63) fee for patients who visit emergency services without being admitted. The measure would not apply to children, pregnant women or those referred by a doctor. The proposal now goes to the Senate.
The House of Representatives rejected the popular initiative calling for a ban on foie gras imports. Instead, Parliament is moving towards an indirect counter-proposal that would gradually tighten import rules rather than introduce an immediate ban, aiming to address ethical concerns without abruptly changing consumer habits.
Another contentious animal-related issue was also debated. The Senate adopted a motion allowing the culling of wolves once their population reaches a certain threshold. Wolf numbers have risen sharply, from around ten individuals in 2010 to more than 300 today, creating challenges for mountain farming. The matter now returns to the House of Representatives.
Translated using AI/amva
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
