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 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 Readers' experiences of the EU's new EES border checks vary depending on where in Switzerland they are travelling to and from. Help us build a picture of any problem airports or places where queues are minimal. Share your experience in the comments section and we'll add them to this article. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260610/zurich-sort-it-out-your-experiences-of-ees-border-checks-at-swiss-airports Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:20:36 +0200 zurich-sort-it-out-your-experiences-of-ees-border-checks-at-swiss-airports Despite a supposed 'digitalisation' strategy, Switzerland's Federal Assembly in Bern has ordered enough printer paper to build a tower eight times the size of Everest. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260610/why-has-the-swiss-parliament-just-bought-600-million-sheets-of-paper Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:15:39 +0200 why-has-the-swiss-parliament-just-bought-600-million-sheets-of-paper Only three countries have passed into national legislation new EU pay transparency rules by the June 7th deadline, MEPs and trade unions have denounced. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260610/only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:12:09 +0200 only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules Growing numbers of Europeans no longer see the US as an ally, with a significant minority viewing the superpower as an adversary, a new survey has revealed. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260610/a-new-low-europeans-no-longer-see-the-us-as-an-ally-and-blame-trump Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:00:30 +0200 a-new-low-europeans-no-longer-see-the-us-as-an-ally-and-blame-trump European ferry ports have sounded the alarm about the impact of the EU's new EES checks this summer at the same time as global tourism chiefs say travellers from around the world are being put off by the prospect of long border delays in Europe. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260609/tourism-chiefs-and-european-ferry-ports-sound-alarm-over-summer-border-chaos Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:24:20 +0200 tourism-chiefs-and-european-ferry-ports-sound-alarm-over-summer-border-chaos The Council of States, the upper house of Switzerland’s Parliament, has refused to allow retailers to open for business on up to 12 Sundays a year. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260609/swiss-mps-shut-down-move-for-more-frequent-sunday-shop-openings Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:53:34 +0200 swiss-mps-shut-down-move-for-more-frequent-sunday-shop-openings If you are a non-EU resident flying into Switzerland, expect long lines at immigration booths. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260609/new-ees-border-system-at-swiss-airports-causes-longer-waits-for-passengers Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:33:43 +0200 new-ees-border-system-at-swiss-airports-causes-longer-waits-for-passengers Swiss business leaders and unions are mobilising ahead of a vote Sunday on capping immigration, which has triggered fears of dire impacts on employment and trade relations with the European Union. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260609/business-unions-unite-against-swiss-immigration-cap-push Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:23:53 +0200 business-unions-unite-against-swiss-immigration-cap-push Due to a drop in asylum applications in Switzerland, 108 employees of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will lose their jobs next year. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260608/swiss-migration-authority-to-lay-off-staff-as-asylum-cases-drop Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:55:40 +0200 swiss-migration-authority-to-lay-off-staff-as-asylum-cases-drop Switzerland votes on June 14th on an initiative that would seek to stop the country's population hitting 10 million before 2050. Here is an overview of where things stand right now. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260608/switzerlands-population-vote-an-overview Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:11:51 +0200 switzerlands-population-vote-an-overview At a Swiss nursing home, Marcelle Mivelaz celebrated her 80th birthday surrounded by friends, as a team of mostly foreign nurses and caregivers ensured the day ran smoothly. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260608/swiss-healthcare-united-against-immigration-cap-plan Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:44:54 +0200 swiss-healthcare-united-against-immigration-cap-plan A co-owner of the Swiss bar ravaged by a deadly fire was charged with forgery on Friday, adding to the numerous charges she and her husband already face over the New Year disaster that killed 41 people. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260606/bar-owner-faces-new-charge-over-deadly-swiss-ski-resort-fire Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:33:31 +0200 bar-owner-faces-new-charge-over-deadly-swiss-ski-resort-fire In many of Switzerland’s communities, you can see, alongside billboards urging voters to say ‘yes’ to the immigration-capping bid, a photo of the US President Donald Trump gracing a poster of his own. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260605/swiss-opponents-of-no-to-10-million-vote-harness-influence-of-donald-trump Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:47:04 +0200 swiss-opponents-of-no-to-10-million-vote-harness-influence-of-donald-trump Concerns are mounting at a controversial revision of Europe's air passenger rights, as crunch talks between European Parliament and Council negotiators are expected to continue next week ahead of a June 15th deadline. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260605/concerns-raised-over-air-passenger-rights-in-europe-as-crunch-talks-continue Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:20:57 +0200 concerns-raised-over-air-passenger-rights-in-europe-as-crunch-talks-continue The Swiss government will have to create a legal basis for establishing migrant hubs outside Europe where rejected asylum seekers would be sent. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260604/switzerland-to-take-part-in-eu-scheme-to-send-migrants-to-return-hubs Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:24 +0200 switzerland-to-take-part-in-eu-scheme-to-send-migrants-to-return-hubs With referendum day fast approaching, we asked readers of The Local what worries they have about Switzerland's upcoming 'No to 10 million' vote. Whilst many said they were not concerned about others worried about their future in the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260603/a-turn-towards-hate-the-worries-our-readers-have-about-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:01:17 +0200 a-turn-towards-hate-the-worries-our-readers-have-about-switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote Almost half of European small and medium companies struggle to find workers with the skills they need but recruitment outside the EU remains “limited” and “too difficult”, a recent Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission had shown. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260603/how-companies-in-europe-are-struggling-to-recruit-workers-from-outside-the-eu Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:49:22 +0200 how-companies-in-europe-are-struggling-to-recruit-workers-from-outside-the-eu The Swiss football federation (ASF) said on Tuesday that forward Breel Embolo had been prevented from flying to the United States with his teammates for the World Cup due to a problem with his visa. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260603/switzerlands-embolo-blocked-from-world-cup-flight-over-visa-issue Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:28:17 +0200 switzerlands-embolo-blocked-from-world-cup-flight-over-visa-issue The European Commission on Tuesday asked nine countries in the Schengen area, including France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Denmark and Norway to phase out internal border checks, which have been reinstated in some cases for years. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260602/eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:10:21 +0200 eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks