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TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Tuition fees for foreign students at polytechnic institutes to triple; traffic jams expected during the holiday weekend; and other Swiss news in our roundup on Friday.

Published: 13 September 2024 07:00 CEST
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Be ready for traffic jams this holiday weekend. Photo: Pixabay

It’s confirmed: Fees for foreign polytechnic students will triple

After the National Council, the Council of States has also agreed on Thursday to significantly increase the tuition paid by international students at Switzerland’s two Federal Institutes of Technology — one in Zurich and the other in Lausanne. 

The news comes just as students at the two universities returned for the fall semester.

The decision was first announced by the Council of the Federal Institutes of Technology on July 12th.

This increase is meant to compensate for lower federal contributions because from 2025, the government’s financial aid to the two public institutes will be sharply reduced.

Higher tuition — which will triple from the current 780 francs per semester — is set to be introduced as of autumn 2025.

Fees for Swiss students will remain the same.

READ ALSO: Two top Swiss universities triple tuition fees for foreign students 

Zurich police allowed to investigate closed chats and forums

The aim of this move, approved on Thursday, is to detect and prevent imminent terrorist attacks and other serious crimes before they actually occur, Zurich cantonal government announced in a press release.

“To fight crime effectively, the police need appropriate conditions, including up-to-date legal requirements,” cantonal authorities said in a press release on Thursday.
 
They added that “in view of the rising crime rate and uninterrupted population growth, the cantonal government not only wants to revise the police law, but also gradually increase the target number of cantonal police officers by 2027.” 

Holiday weekend ahead: mind the traffic

Starting tonight, a big number of motorists will take to the road to go away for the Thanksgiving weekend, which is celebrated on Sunday everywhere In Switzerland except in Geneva, which celebrated its own holiday on September 5th.

READ ALSO: What is Switzerland’s Thanksgiving day?

The worst traffic jams are expected (as they are before and after every long holiday weekend) through the Gotthard tunnel, where bottlenecks stretching over several kilometres and stranding motorists for hours, are a common sight.

If you plan to drive through the Gotthard this weekend, “leave very early in the morning or in evening, and try alternative routes, when possible,” according to Laurent Pignot, the spokesperson for Touring Club Suisse (TCS) motoring organisation.

But don’t expect to be the only motorist on the alternative routes, because they too are usually quite congested during holiday weekends, Pignot pointed out.

There are also two south-bound roads, especially for motorists from the French-speaking regions:  the Mont-Blanc and the Grand-Saint-Bernard tunnels.

If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
 

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TODAY IN SWITZERLAND

Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Zurich homeowners face higher taxes; MPs seek to ban unsolicited sales calls; and more Swiss news in our roundup on Wednesday.

Published: 18 September 2024 08:16 CEST
Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Council of States doesn’t want Switzerland to join the UN migration pact

The pact in question sets out measures to regulate migration across borders. This involves the rights of migrants but also, for example, securing borders and combating smuggling gangs.

However, most MPs said they don’t see any concrete advantages of joining the pact, pointing out that its risks outweigh the benefits.

For instance, the pact does not impose any direct obligations on states, so it can have only a limited effect, the deputies said.

A minority, on the other hand, argued unsuccessfully that Switzerland should declare its support for the guiding principles of the pact.

Also in the Council of States….

Deputies want the the law against unsolicited sales calls to be strengthened

Even though unsolicited sales calls from insurance carriers have been banned since September 1st, ‘cold’ calls in general remain too frequent.

On Tuesday, MPs accepted a motion seeking to end such phone contacts emanating from call centres, located predominantly abroad, though many also come from scammers.

According to minister Albert Rösti, who heads the Department of Communications, the legislation outlawing such nuisance calls will soon be drawn up.

Zurich homeowners should expect significantly higher taxes

Because the canton of Zurich is re-evaluating all properties, homeowners will have to brace themselves for significantly higher tax bills from 2027, according to a press release on Tuesday. 

This step was triggered by two court rulings, according to which  many properties in the canton were undervalued. The last estimate took place in 2009, but real estate prices have soared since then.

Property tax values are to increase by an average of 48 percent, while  imputed rental values for single-family homes will rise by an average of 11 percent and for condominiums by 10 percent.

With this measure, the canton and municipalities can expect additional income of 85 million each.

SWISS airline suspends flights to Tel Aviv — again

After resuming its suspended  service to Tel Aviv on September 5th, the airline has again cancelled the flights to the Israeli city up to and including September 19th.

This step was taken for the same reason as before: “due to recent change in the security situation.”

During this period, the Israeli and Iranian airspace will also be bypassed, the airline said, adding that it will “continue to monitor the situation closely and will assess it further in the coming days.”

Passengers affected by the cancellation can rebook for a later travel date free of charge or, alternatively, get a full refund of the ticket price.
 
 If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at news@thelocal.ch
 

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