Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Switzerland is hot – exceptionally hot for May. Despite temperatures reaching 32.4°C in Sion and forecasts above 30°C throughout the week, MeteoSwiss is not yet classifying the situation as a heatwave.
The early announcement of rising health insurance premiums for 2027, however, could trigger a different kind of heatwave in Swiss households. And no one seems able to cool down a system that has been overheating for years.
Enjoy your reading,
The annual announcement of health insurance premium increases usually comes in September. But based on a 2.9% rise in healthcare costs during the first quarter of 2026, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is already warning that premiums could rise by 5% next year.
“In 2026, premiums will not fully cover costs,” Philipp Muri, head of the FOPH Insurance Supervision Division, told journalists on Tuesday. “We can therefore expect a catch-up effect on premiums.”
At this stage, experts remain cautious about precise forecasts for 2027.
The reasons behind rising healthcare costs have long been known. An ageing population and medical advances are among the main drivers. Against this backdrop, the FOPH insists that cost control remains essential.
Over the Pentecost weekend, Switzerland experienced its first major rise in temperatures of the year. While the UK and France are officially experiencing heatwaves, Switzerland has remained below the threshold defined by MeteoSwiss.
According to the agency, a heatwave is classified as an average temperature of at least 25°C over three consecutive days. The calculation includes overnight temperatures as well as daytime highs.
So although temperatures climbed above 30°C in many parts of Switzerland on Sunday and Monday, average temperatures over the weekend did not cross the required threshold.
Still, the first “hot day” of the year – defined as temperatures above 30°C – arrived unusually early. While not a record, such temperatures are typically only reached in early June.
Climatologist Sonia Seneviratne says these early heat domes are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change. “An event that used to occur roughly once every ten years without human influence is now happening three or four times every decade,” she told Swiss public broadcaster RTS on Tuesday.
The Paléo Festival will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel to perform following multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault, including inappropriate behaviour in Switzerland. Other concert cancellations may follow.
Bruel, one of the biggest stars in the French-speaking world for nearly four decades, has recently faced accusations from dozens of women.
One of the alleged assaults took place during the Paléo Festival. French television channel TF1 reported on Sunday that a festival volunteer accused the singer of inappropriate behaviour during a backstage massage in 2019. As the case gained momentum in France, the internationally renowned festival in Nyon reiterated its support for the volunteer and announced it would no longer programme Patrick Bruel.
On Tuesday, organisers of the Bellarena Indoor Festival in Fribourg announced that Bruel’s concert scheduled for late June had been postponed “to allow the courts time to establish the facts objectively”.
Bruel is also due to perform at the Pully Live Festival in June and at Geneva Arena in November. For venues and organisers, cancelling performances can carry significant financial consequences, including artist fees and ticket refunds.
Just over the Swiss border, some cross-border workers live in camper vans or converted vehicles. It is the price some are paying to earn Swiss salaries in a region where housing costs have soared.
The French village of Les Fourgs, near the Swiss border, has set aside an area for around a dozen vehicles. Most of the residents interviewed by the Aargauer Zeitung are in their thirties and preferred to remain anonymous.
“We do the jobs the Swiss don’t want to do,” one commuter told the newspaper, referring to work in construction, hospitality and hospitals. “And often for lower pay than Swiss employees doing the same work,” added another.
The village’s mayor, Roger Belot, attracted attention after creating the dedicated parking area for cross-border commuters. The issue also became a topic during recent municipal elections.
Belot defends the workers, saying many are pursuing longer-term goals such as financing a house or a round-the-world trip. “They are also people who work, pay taxes and pay rent,” he said.
Translated using AI/amva
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