Switzerland Today

Dear Swiss Abroad,

The spring session begins next week in Bern with important topics on the agenda such as 13th pension payments. In Zurich, something is coming to an end today: the Jelmoli department store is closing after more than 125 years.

We also take a look at university tuition fees, which the Swiss government wants to double, and at Switzerland’s borders with France, where CO2 emissions are particularly high.

Best wishes from Bern,

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The parliament’s spring session begins next week bringing key decisions for Swiss citizens abroad. These include the potential abolition of ‘child pensions’ and a motion in favour of the descendants of expatriates in South America.

The main focus of the session will undoubtedly be the election to replace the retiring Centre Party Federal Councillor Viola Amherd on March 12.

Payments for pensioners’ children are a major topic for the Swiss Abroad, as the Senate could decide to abolish them worldwide. Another motion concerns the descendants of Swiss emigrants in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, who lost their Swiss citizenship. Social Democratic Party member Carlo Sommaruga is pushing for them to receive a special residence permit allowing them to work in Switzerland.

Additionally, last year’s approval of the 13th old-age and survivors’ pension (AHV/AVS) now requires Parliament to decide how to finance it. Other topics include neutrality policy and possible changes to asylum law, with special sessions on asylum set to take place in both chambers.

• Read the article by our Parliament correspondent Balz Rigendinger to find out which issues particularly affect Swiss Abroad
• Read our article on the petition from South America, in which thousands of descendants of Swiss emigrants are demanding a Swiss passport

Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Cross-border commuters play a key role in the Swiss economy, but their daily journeys to Switzerland and back also have a downside. A new study highlights the significant greenhouse gas emissions in border regions, primarily caused by commuting.

Most cross-border commuters travel by car, covering far more kilometres than residents of other regions. In 2021, drivers in areas near the Swiss border travelled up to 14,500 kilometres. The French government’s environmental plan envisages a reduction of 600 kilometres.

To reduce CO2 emissions, the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques, which conducted the study, suggests alternatives such as walking, cycling, using public transport, carpooling or switching to electric vehicles. However, the feasibility of these measures for cross-border commuters remains uncertain.

• Read the France 3 articleExternal link here
• Cross-border commuters lured to Switzerland with false promises – Swiss public broadcaster, SRF reportExternal link

Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

The Swiss federal government is planning a significant increase in university tuition fees: from 2027, Swiss students will pay twice as much, while fees for foreign students will increase even more.

Currently, Swiss students pay an average of around CHF1,450 (€1,545) per year for their university studies. This amount is set to double from 2027, according to a report by Watson. Studying in Switzerland will become even more expensive for foreign students, as their fees are set to quadruple.

While tuition fees in Switzerland may seem low compared to the United States, where students often take out loans, a Europe-wide comparison shows that many countries offer cheaper education. In Scandinavia, Austria, Scotland and Montenegro, tuition fees are non-existent, while many other European countries charge only administrative fees of less than €100 (CHF94).

The most expensive universities in Europe are in England and Wales, where a degree programme can cost nearly €10,000 (CHF9,388) per year. If Switzerland doubles its fees, it will become the fourth most expensive country for students in Europe.

• Read the WatsonExternal link article here
• How much money do students have?External link Three students share their budgets with Watson

Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Jelmoli in Zurich is open for the last time today. The closure of Switzerland’s oldest department store reflects changing consumer behaviour.

Jelmoli first opened in 1899 but is closing today after losing the battle against online retail and Zurich’s high property costs. Swiss Prime Site, the owner of the building, has decided to remodel and lease the space.

At the time of its opening, Jelmoli fascinated customers. “Never before had so many new and beautiful things been gathered together in one place,” writes the Tages-Anzeiger. The store made luxury goods accessible to the middle class.

However, competition arrived in the form of shopping malls in the late 20th century, offering a wider selection of products, as well as restaurants, cinemas and hair salons. Eventually, online shopping took over, but Swiss department stores were slow to adapt.

The Manor department store will move into the bottom three floors of the Jelmoli building. Manor had previously vacated its location on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse in 2020 due to high rents. The former Manor building is now also owned by Swiss Prime Site.

• Read the Tages-Anzeiger’sExternal link detailed review of Jelmoli’s history here (paywall, in German).

Read the article by Swiss public broadcaster, SRFExternal link

Keystone / Christian Beutler

Picture of the day

The image does not show an art installation nor a crane arm basking in the sun. Instead, it captures the demolition of a building in Steffisburg, where solar panels are being removed.

Translated from German using DeepL/amva