Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

Are you excited about Black Friday? Neither am I, but that might be because I’m the wrong generation (X rather than Z). The under-30s apparently respond much better to retail promotions than older people, according to a study. Which reminds me of this article I wrote (back when I was in my 30s) on Buy Nothing Day.

This content was published on November 17, 2023 - 18:00

4 minutes

Born in London, Thomas was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. He speaks all three official Swiss languages and enjoys travelling the country and practising them, above all in pubs, restaurants and gelaterias.

In the news: Tourists return to Switzerland for winter, Emmanuel Macron visits CERN, and the Swiss public’s thoughts on the conflict in the Middle East.

Swiss tourism can look forward to a good winter. The number of overnight stays in the 2023/24 winter season will rise by 1.6% to 17.7 million, according to a forecast by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute. More European guests are expected again, particularly from Germany, the most important country of origin.
During a two-day official visit to Switzerland, French President Emmanuel Macron had a loo around CERN, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator on the Franco-Swiss border. “I have come to show my confidence in the teams and our determination and ambition to maintain our leading position in this field,” he explained.
A survey shows that the Swiss are divided over the responsibility for the current conflict in the Middle East. While a majority support “Israel’s right to defend itself”, the suspension of aid and a ban on Hamas, most want a humanitarian ceasefire.

Paris — Keystone / Christophe Petit Tesson

Almost 11% of all Swiss citizens live abroad, with France being the top destination. A Swiss expat and an expert explain why the country exerts such an attraction.

Almost a quarter of all Swiss Abroad live in the “Grande Nation”, Swiss public broadcaster, SRF, writesExternal link. Susi Ammann is one of over 200,000 of them. Ammann, 66, lives in Biarritz on the Atlantic coast and has been at home in France for 40 years. “It’s attractive to live in France if you have a good professional situation,” she says. For her, the “savoir vivre”, knowing how to live well, is another reason to live there. In her opinion, this positive aspect also outweighs the negative clichés of the “arrogance and pride of the French”. This is because people in France are generally very open and approachable, she says.

France has great appeal, and not just for Susi Ammann. More and more Swiss reckon the grass is greener across the border. Nicole Töpperwien provides an explanation for this. She is the managing director of SoliswissExternal link, a cooperative that supports the Swiss Abroad or those who would like to become a Swiss Abroad.

“It’s relatively easy to emigrate to France,” she says. Thanks to the bilateral agreements, it’s also relatively easy to obtain a visa, and there are people who move from Switzerland to France at a young age to study. On the other hand, the country is also attractive for pensioners. “Good living conditions, in many cases people can already speak the language, it’s not far away.” These are all reasons why it is generally attractive to live in France.

Also, France is fundamentally in good shape digitally. But as we all know, the exception proves the rule: Soliswiss received an enquiry from an expat who had been trying to get health insurance in France for a year and a half. “Fortunately, we were able to help the person concerned,” Töpperwien says.

However, she also says there are a few hurdles when emigrating. For example, it’s no longer possible to pay into the old-age pension scheme or make voluntary contributions once you have emigrated. Inheritance tax is also regulated differently in France. Despite France’s great appeal, many Swiss nationals return to Switzerland after some time. According to Töpperwien, more than half of emigrants return within ten years.

In an interview with SWI swissinfo.ch Philippe Lazzarini, head of United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA, sounds the alarm about the lack of fuel in Gaza, which is used to produce water and run hospitals.

The humanitarian agency is in danger of suspending its aid to the Gaza Strip, he says. Lazzarini (pictured) was in Geneva yesterday to denounce the deadly consequences of the siege imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

In the interview with Dorian Burkhalter, he explains that UNRWA staff have suffered heavy losses and nowhere is safe in the Palestinian enclave.