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 'No to 10 million' anti-immigration initiative from the hard-right Swiss People's Party is gaining momentum ahead of the November 14th referendum, but readers of The Local are divided on the impact of the upcoming vote. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260202/switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote-would-be-catalyst-for-hatred-of-foreigners Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:33:21 +0100 switzerlands-no-to-10-million-vote-would-be-catalyst-for-hatred-of-foreigners Dual-national American readers across Europe say they would give up their US passports to stay European if they were forced to, with many citing political disillusionment, fears for safety, and the feeling of belonging to their adopted country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251213/i-feel-alienated-american-dual-nationals-in-europe-ready-to-renounce-citizenship Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:06:30 +0100 i-feel-alienated-american-dual-nationals-in-europe-ready-to-renounce-citizenship Has life in Switzerland improved or deteriorated in recent years? Which aspects have got worse and where have things got better? Our readers give their verdict. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251117/higher-prices-poor-job-market-has-life-in-switzerland-got-worse-or-better Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:43:05 +0100 higher-prices-poor-job-market-has-life-in-switzerland-got-worse-or-better The number of foreign residents who leave Switzerland to return home is well above the EU average for emigration, so why do so many leave? The Local’s readers have offered a few reasons. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250505/retiring-here-is-unaffordable-why-foreign-residents-leave-switzerland Mon, 05 May 2025 17:45:54 +0200 retiring-here-is-unaffordable-why-foreign-residents-leave-switzerland Foreigners living in Switzerland would really benefit from having Swiss friends, but the problem is it's very hard to build close friendships with the locals. That's the conclusion our readers have made. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250827/youll-feel-accepted-why-foreigners-should-make-swiss-friends-but-often-cant Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:34:14 +0200 youll-feel-accepted-why-foreigners-should-make-swiss-friends-but-often-cant Whether you're visiting Switzerland or you've been living here for years, working out the tipping rules can be difficult. We asked our readers to give us the lowdown on tipping culture in Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220722/verdict-how-much-should-you-tip-in-switzerland-and-should-you-tip-at-all Fri, 22 Jul 2022 17:55:14 +0200 verdict-how-much-should-you-tip-in-switzerland-and-should-you-tip-at-all After having moved home to Switzerland from the US, Sabine Munshi, 56, was certain she'd be able to find a stable, well-paid job. But with the Swiss job market closed to older jobseekers, she explains why she's been forced to head back across the Atlantic. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250612/no-one-warned-me-of-the-reality-facing-older-jobseekers-in-switzerland Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:49:27 +0200 no-one-warned-me-of-the-reality-facing-older-jobseekers-in-switzerland Finding a job in Switzerland when you are over 50 can be a difficult, if not impossible task. The struggle can leave many foreigners disheartened and even forced to leave the country as several have attested to. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250604/four-years-of-closed-doors-how-older-workers-struggle-to-find-jobs-in-switzerland Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:10:54 +0200 four-years-of-closed-doors-how-older-workers-struggle-to-find-jobs-in-switzerland The Local recently published an article on the US government’s travel advisory about dangers that Americans could encounter in Switzerland. Do the readers agree with this assessment? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250526/is-switzerland-really-dangerous-for-americans-readers-have-their-say Mon, 26 May 2025 12:51:04 +0200 is-switzerland-really-dangerous-for-americans-readers-have-their-say We asked our readers what aspect about life in Switzerland has surprised them the most. The responses we received were eye-opening. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230623/the-recycling-what-about-life-in-switzerland-surprised-foreigners-the-most Fri, 23 Jun 2023 15:40:46 +0200 the-recycling-what-about-life-in-switzerland-surprised-foreigners-the-most We asked our readers in Switzerland if they had experienced any form of racism or xenophobia living in the country. Here's what you had to say. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240209/i-took-my-photo-off-my-cv-foreigners-in-switzerland-recount-experiences-of-racism Fri, 09 Feb 2024 15:52:37 +0100 i-took-my-photo-off-my-cv-foreigners-in-switzerland-recount-experiences-of-racism From “schmolitz” to “panosse”, some words and phrases common in the French-speaking part of Switzerland are different from their equivalents used in France. Here is the vernacular you should master if you live in Suisse Romandie. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210906/some-useful-swiss-french-words-you-need-to-know Mon, 06 Sep 2021 16:29:53 +0200 some-useful-swiss-french-words-you-need-to-know Geneva must be up there when picturing an international city where language is no barrier. Does this hold true for those looking for a job? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240315/things-have-changed-can-you-get-a-job-in-geneva-without-speaking-french Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:23:17 +0100 things-have-changed-can-you-get-a-job-in-geneva-without-speaking-french Negative attitudes towards foreigners have risen in Switzerland, with new proposals to limit, or even severely restrict, the number of new arrivals. Many foreign residents in Switzerland tell us they are extremely concerned. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241015/we-pay-our-taxes-foreigners-in-switzerland-troubled-by-rise-in-hostility Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:36:05 +0200 we-pay-our-taxes-foreigners-in-switzerland-troubled-by-rise-in-hostility Switzerland’s economic engine. Superb public transport. Perhaps the safest and cleanest metropolis in Europe. It can appear that Zurich has it all. But there are of course some downsides. Here's what our Zurich-based readers told us. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220721/verdict-the-downsides-of-zurich-you-should-be-aware-of-before-moving Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:16:23 +0200 verdict-the-downsides-of-zurich-you-should-be-aware-of-before-moving We recently asked our readers whether it's possible to live in the multilingual Switzerland speaking only English. The responses we received are truly revealing. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221130/verdict-can-you-get-by-in-switzerland-with-just-english Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:28:00 +0100 verdict-can-you-get-by-in-switzerland-with-just-english Many international families are drawn to live and work in Switzerland and many put their children in international schools. Parents and former pupils give their views on whether the huge school fees are worth it. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240626/my-son-finished-without-life-skills-are-swiss-international-schools-worth-the-fees Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:15:33 +0200 my-son-finished-without-life-skills-are-swiss-international-schools-worth-the-fees Big changes are afoot for travel in Europe with the EU introducing two new systems for travellers - EES and ETIAS. We want to hear from readers about their questions and any worries about the new systems. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240410/tell-us-what-are-your-questions-about-the-eus-new-ees-and-etias-travel-systems Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:43:00 +0200 tell-us-what-are-your-questions-about-the-eus-new-ees-and-etias-travel-systems Finding a job in Geneva, Lausanne or other parts of French-speaking Switzerland can be difficult but is it possible if you don't speak French? Share your views in our short survey to help other readers. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240313/share-your-view-can-you-get-a-job-in-geneva-even-if-you-cant-speak-french Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:41:35 +0100 share-your-view-can-you-get-a-job-in-geneva-even-if-you-cant-speak-french What are the main problems and dangers in Zurich for cyclists and how can the city be made safer for those on two wheels? Our readers have the verdict. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240219/difficult-and-dangerous-how-safe-is-zurich-for-cyclists Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:18:51 +0100 difficult-and-dangerous-how-safe-is-zurich-for-cyclists