Basel parliament supports voting rights for foreigners

Foreign nationals with a residence permit, who have lived in Basel-City for at least five years, should be able to vote in the canton, the parliament decided on Thursday by 53 votes to 41.

The reason for this move is that 38 percent of adult Basel-City population are foreign nationals, who are not allowed to have a say in local political matters.

As in similar moves in other cantons, most recently Geneva, it will be up to voters to have the last word on this matter when a referendum on this issue is held — at as yet undetermined date. 

Gotthard tunnel to reopen on September 2nd

After being mostly closed to rail traffic by a derailment in August 2023, the Gotthard base tunnel will be fully operational again from September 2nd, Swiss national railway company, SBB, said in a press release on Thursday.

By that date, trains between German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will resume at the same frequency as before.

Additionally, direct trains from Switzerland to Bologna and Genoa; the Eurocity on the Basel–Lucerne–Milan line; as well as the Frankfurt–Zurich–Milan connection, will be in service.

“Travelers will once again be able to travel from Zurich to Lugano in less than two hours, one hour less than via the current alternative routes,” the SBB said.

On the other hand…

Zermatt remains closed to train traffic

The damage on the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn railway line caused by recent thunderstorms and flooding, turned out to be more extensive than originally thought.

Repair work, especially between Täsch and Zermatt will take several weeks, which means there is no way to get to the famous resort, which is car-free, by train in the immediate future.

However, replacement buses will run regularly between Täsch (where private vehicles should be parked) and the village of Zermatt in the meantime.

Rich French are eyeing Switzerland as a refuge for their money

Wealthy French citizens are reportedly afraid of the impact that early legislative elections in France — the first round of which takes place on June 30th — will have on their assets.

To them (as for countless other rich foreigners), Switzerland is a safe haven for their money.

“We are seeing strong demand from French people who are worried about political instability and who say they are looking for security for their savings,” said Arthur Jurus, head of investment at ODDO BHF private bank. 

He and other experts point out, however, that as Switzerland is not a ‘tax haven’ (despite some misconceptions to the contrary), any foreign funds deposited in its banks will be declared to French authorities, as both countries are bound by the ‘automatic exchange of information on financial accounts’ agreement to ensure tax transparency. 

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