https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Swiss authorities and economic players breathed a sigh of relief Sunday after voters narrowly rejected a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country's population, which had sparked warnings of "chaos". https://www.thelocal.ch/20260614/breaking-no-to-10-million-vote-set-for-nail-biting-finish Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:23:06 +0200 breaking-no-to-10-million-vote-set-for-nail-biting-finish Thousands of protesters thronged the streets of Geneva Sunday ahead of the G7 summit in Evian in neighbouring France, with police omnipresent amid fears of a repeat of the violence seen at a similar summit in 2003. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260614/thousands-protest-in-geneva-ahead-of-g7-summit-in-france Sun, 14 Jun 2026 17:55:38 +0200 thousands-protest-in-geneva-ahead-of-g7-summit-in-france Swiss voters will decide the fate of a divisive anti-immigration proposal on Sunday to cap the country's population, and another referendum on restricting access to conscientious objection to military service. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260614/swiss-head-to-polls-in-divisive-anti-immigration-vote Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:01:55 +0200 swiss-head-to-polls-in-divisive-anti-immigration-vote Thousands of anti-G7 protesters were expected to rally in Geneva Sunday under a heavy police presence ahead of the summit in Evian, just across the border with France. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260614/protests-set-to-grip-geneva-ahead-of-g7-summit Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:06:56 +0200 protests-set-to-grip-geneva-ahead-of-g7-summit Much has been said and written about the 'No to 10 million' initiative seeking to cap immigration in Switzerland. Here's when we can expect the results on Sunday 14th June. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260613/when-will-we-know-the-result-of-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:44:44 +0200 when-will-we-know-the-result-of-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote A concerning report by Switzerland's meteorological service has outlined the key climate changes the country will face if global temperatures continue rising, with heatwaves, freak weather and melting snow and ice among the likely events. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260613/intense-heat-and-drought-switzerlands-climate-future-laid-bare-in-new-report Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:21:42 +0200 intense-heat-and-drought-switzerlands-climate-future-laid-bare-in-new-report Airlines will be banned from charging parents to get seats next to their children under an EU reform of passenger rights agreed on Friday that stopped short of more divisive changes, diplomats said. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260613/eu-to-ban-airlines-from-charging-parents-to-sit-with-children Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:06:35 +0200 eu-to-ban-airlines-from-charging-parents-to-sit-with-children Switzerland has offered to host the possible signing of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry told AFP on Friday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260613/switzerland-offers-to-host-signing-of-us-iran-peace-deal Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:40:49 +0200 switzerland-offers-to-host-signing-of-us-iran-peace-deal If the hard-right’s anti-immigration bid is approved at the ballot box on June 14th, when would the Swiss government enact the initiative into new law? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260603/timeline-when-would-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote-take-effect Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:34:24 +0200 timeline-when-would-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote-take-effect On June 14th, voters in Switzerland will have their say on two federal initiatives, as well as on a number of issues of regional importance. We have selected the cantonal votes that are most likely to matter to local residents. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260518/taxes-and-wages-whats-at-stake-in-swiss-cantonal-referendums-in-june Mon, 18 May 2026 15:49:41 +0200 taxes-and-wages-whats-at-stake-in-swiss-cantonal-referendums-in-june Switzerland's political system can be a little confusing for international residents to get their head around. Here's a quick guide to help you understand how it works. https://www.thelocal.ch/20211129/a-foreigners-guide-to-understanding-swiss-politics-in-five-minutes Mon, 29 Nov 2021 13:01:41 +0100 a-foreigners-guide-to-understanding-swiss-politics-in-five-minutes Following a vote in the Swiss National Council, some foreigners in Switzerland could soon be made to take part in civil defence duties in the future. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/switzerland-wants-to-make-foreigners-carry-out-civil-defence-duties Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:43:59 +0200 switzerland-wants-to-make-foreigners-carry-out-civil-defence-duties The long and contentious campaign surrounding the hard-right’s bid to thwart population growth in Switzerland by limiting immigration, is coming to an end on June 14th. Here’s a reminder of what’s at stake as the Swiss head to the polls on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/everything-you-need-to-know-to-understand-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:25:53 +0200 everything-you-need-to-know-to-understand-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote A total of 154 airlines are banned in the European Union due to safety concerns, after the 2026 update of the ‘EU air safety list’ announced by the European Commission this week. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/which-airlines-are-banned-in-the-european-union-and-why Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:20:05 +0200 which-airlines-are-banned-in-the-european-union-and-why Switzerland's vote on proposed measures to restrict immigration to ensure the population does not exceed 10 million is dividing the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/switzerland-divided-four-perspectives-on-sundays-anti-immigration-vote Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:35:12 +0200 switzerland-divided-four-perspectives-on-sundays-anti-immigration-vote Deputies will consider a new idea for deporting foreign criminals; federal court to rule on Zurich’s controversial speed limit issue; plus more Swiss news in our Friday roundup. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/today-in-switzerland-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-247 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:41:25 +0200 today-in-switzerland-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-247 More than 200,000 lives have been lost to the "silent killer" of extreme heat in Europe since 2022, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, after a heatwave saw some countries record their highest-ever May temperatures. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260611/silent-killer-extreme-heat-claims-more-than-200000-lives-in-europe Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:08:53 +0200 silent-killer-extreme-heat-claims-more-than-200000-lives-in-europe France and Switzerland are imposing tight security for a looming G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, with a demonstration to be held Sunday in Geneva serving as their first test. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260611/france-and-switzerland-impose-tight-security-around-lake-geneva-for-g7-summit Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:13:09 +0200 france-and-switzerland-impose-tight-security-around-lake-geneva-for-g7-summit Switzerland's Federal Court has ruled in favour of allowing Zurich and Wintertur to set a minimum wage after years of legal wrangling threatened to prevent the measures coming into force. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260611/zurich-and-winterturs-minimum-wage-gets-green-light-from-top-court Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:03:45 +0200 zurich-and-winterturs-minimum-wage-gets-green-light-from-top-court The Swiss will vote Sunday on imposing stricter rules for claiming conscientious objection to military service, as the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical tensions push European countries to bolster army numbers. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260611/swiss-to-vote-on-stricter-rules-for-conscientious-objection Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:47:18 +0200 swiss-to-vote-on-stricter-rules-for-conscientious-objection