Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Have you ever ordered a cheap product online that, to put it mildly, didn’t live up to expectations? It seems that Swiss parliamentarians are also aware of how irritating this can be. Two motions targeting cheap online shops have found broad support in the legislature.
Parliament has approved a crackdown on low-cost online shops such as Temu and Shein. After the Senate, the House of Representatives also supported the proposal to introduce a tax on low-value packages sent by these providers, thus following the example of the European Union.
By 130 votes to 51, the House of Representatives yesterday supported a motion to this effect by Fabio Regazzi from the Centre Party, in which he pointed the finger at the massive influx of small parcels from Asia, particularly from China, which are often sent at preferential rates and without adequate compliance checks. Many of these parcels are incorrectly declared or not declared at all and often contain counterfeit goods.
According to Regazzi, president of the Swiss Union of Arts and Crafts (USAM), this is unfair competition against Swiss companies, which are subject to stricter requirements. He therefore proposes introducing a reinforced control system to be financed by a “small tax” on each package.
The handling of these consignments is also a problem for the European Union, which, from this year, wants to introduce a tax on all goods entering its territory. Until now, platforms have benefited from free shipping for low-value parcels.
The House of Representatives also approved another motion, by 140 votes to 47, that intends to oblige online sales platforms to clearly mark products that do not meet Swiss standards.
Today parliament has been debating several issues, from the problem of the shortage of affordable housing to the consequences of the Crans-Montana tragedy, as well as tax deductions for export companies and shopping incentives for tourists.
In light of the major housing shortage, the Senate, following the House of Representatives, approved the extension of federal subsidies for the construction of moderately priced housing.
The Senate also gave its support to the government’s financial participation in the round table to deal with the consequences of the Crans-Montana fire, accepting the CHF20 million ($25.5 million) credit requested by the government.
The House of Representatives, following the Senate, also narrowly approved two motions calling for tax deductions for exporting companies in order to make the Swiss market more attractive. The decision goes against the opinion of the relevant committees of both chambers, which, like the government, considered it unwise to grant subsidies now, given the already strained federal financial situation and the fact that Switzerland already has one of the most attractive economic centres in the world.
The House of Representatives finally decided to lower the minimum value of purchases required to claim VAT exemption for foreign tourists from CHF300 to CHF150.
Marlene Vögtli, a woman from canton Solothurn, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for her long-standing commitment to the survivors and relatives of the victims of a plane crash in her village, Hochwald, in 1973.
On April 10, 1973, a plane from Bristol crashed near Hochwald on its approach to Basel Airport during an intense blizzard – 108 people died, 37 survived.
On the first anniversary of the tragedy, many British people came to Hochwald to talk to those who had provided assistance at the time. The municipality was desperately looking for someone who spoke English and could act as an interpreter and, at the last moment, asked 27-year-old Vögtli, who had just returned from Australia.
Since then and for more than 50 years, Vögtli – who would also become mayor – organised memorial services, coordinated visits, answered letters and then emails, and helped survivors and family members on their trips to Hochwald. They had her address, contacted her regularly or visited her in person, wrote the Basler Zeitung. Vögtli became – and remains – an important reference point for many people who still return to canton Solothurn decades after the accident.
When the UK embassy contacted her to announce the award, which is conferred by the British monarch, Vögtli did not immediately realise why. She sees the role she played as something taken for granted. “The catastrophe happened on the territory of our municipality,” she says. “It is normal to be there when people need you.”
A farmer from the Côte region in canton Vaud has been convicted of being aggressive towards two cantonal inspectors who had come to check his farm. The farmer destroyed the car of one of them by pouring a pile of manure on it.
The incident dates back to July 2025. During a control related to hygiene and livestock management problems, two cantonal inspectors went to the farm of the man, who had not respected the ban imposed on him by the cantonal veterinarian to deliver his milk.
When the inspectors arrived, the angry farmer threatened them and loaded a container with wet straw and manure before unloading it in two stages onto the car of one of the inspectors, destroying it completely.
The farmer, who admitted this, was found guilty of damage to property, threats against the authorities, obstructing an official act and disobeying a decision of the authorities. The sentence: a suspended prison sentence of 160 days and a fine of CHF600 ($760).
Translated using AI/ts
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