Switzerland Today

Hello Swiss Abroad,

The two issues set for a vote on September 22 are facing challenges. The argument that the proposed reform of occupational pensions is unfair – as employees would pay higher contributions only to receive lower pensions later – seems to be gaining traction.

Similarly, politicians are opposing the planned restructuring of Swiss Post. The House of Representatives has halted the project, pending further clarification, though the company intends to proceed with its announced changes.

Enjoy your reading.

Keystone / Arno Balzarini

Occupational pension reform faces setbacks

Both the occupational pension reform and the biodiversity initiative are struggling to gain support, according to a second poll by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), conducted two weeks before the vote.

The survey, carried out by gfs.bern on behalf of the SBC, shows that 51% of voters now oppose the proposed amendment to the Federal Law on Occupational Pensions. Typically, support for government-backed proposals increases during campaigns, but in this case, opposition has grown since the first poll.

While 85% of respondents agree that occupational pensions should be improved for part-time workers, particularly women, the current proposal seems not to meet these expectations, as the no vote continues to rise.

In contrast, the biodiversity initiative is following the usual trend for such issues, with opposition increasing as the campaign progresses. Now, 51% are against the initiative. However, Swiss Abroad differ, with 56% of expatriates in favour of the proposal.

• More detailed explanations in our article

Keystone / Christian Beutler

Swiss Post restructuring halted by House of Representatives

Plans to restructure Swiss Post have been temporarily paused by the House of Representatives, which has requested the Federal Council to clarify the company’s universal service mandate and business operations.

In June, Swiss Post announced that it would retain only 600 traditional postal outlets by 2028, closing 170 branches – about one in five post offices.

Additionally, the Federal Council agreed to end the obligation to deliver mail to 60,000 isolated households and to slow deliveries during busy periods such as Christmas.

However, politicians are resisting these changes. Following a recommendation from its transport and telecommunications committee, the House of Representatives voted 113 to 60, with 18 abstentions, to freeze the restructuring plans. This marks a setback for Transport Minister Albert Rösti, who supports the transformation.

The motion now goes to the Senate. If approved, the Federal Council will need to act on its recommendations. Despite this, Swiss Post plans to continue its transformation as scheduled, according to spokeswoman Silvana Grellmann.

• Read more in 24 heuresExternal link (in French / subscription required)

Keystone-SDA

Germany tightens border controls with Switzerland

Germany is set to intensify its border controls with Switzerland, although this is not expected to affect Swiss border policies, according to Swiss authorities.

The move follows two recent attacks in Germany, prompting calls for heightened security. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced that more stringent border checks would begin next week.

Similar measures were introduced during the Euro football championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which ended on September 8. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), these controls did not appear to affect the number of asylum applications in Switzerland.

While stricter German surveillance could increase the number of people turned back to Switzerland, there has been no evidence of this so far. In fact, irregular migration figures are lower than in previous years for the same period, despite the tighter controls.

Swiss authorities remain in close contact with their German counterparts regarding the fight against illegal immigration. However, the SEM maintains that reintroducing internal border controls is not an appropriate solution.

• Read more in the Tages-AnzeigerExternal link (in German / subscription required)

Switzerland Tourism / Dominik Baur

Recruiting influencers to promote tourism in Switzerland may not have a significant impact, according to a study by the University of St Gallen.

For several years, Switzerland Tourism has relied on influencers to showcase the country as a holiday destination to millions of followers. “Social media is becoming increasingly important, which is why we can’t overlook working with influencers,” says spokesperson Markus Berger.

To assess the effectiveness of this strategy, the University of St Gallen analysed the reasons 700 people chose specific holiday destinations.

The findings were not encouraging for influencers. The study revealed that they played a role in very few cases, with word of mouth proving far more influential.

However, Switzerland Tourism disputes these findings. A survey of 23,000 guests in South America found that 29% of tourists cited social media, including influencers, as the main reason for choosing to travel.

Encouraged by this result, Switzerland Tourism is continuing its partnership with Roger Federer as the country’s ambassador.

In the latest campaign, the tennis star is joined by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (known for his role as the villain in the James Bond film Casino Royale) to promote the beauty of Switzerland in autumn. The video can be viewed on our social media platforms.

• Watch the RSI reportExternal link (in Italian) 

• Decode the new Switzerland Tourism campaignExternal link with RSI (in Italian)

Keystone / Michael Buholzer

Switzerland in focus

In Zurich, it’s the end of an era for the traffic control post at Central Square. For decades, traffic at this busy crossroads was manually directed, morning and evening. Since its installation in 1951, many offenders were reprimanded by the police officer stationed in the hut. “The police officer scolded us every time we crossed at the wrong time,” recalls one of my SWI swissinfo.ch colleagues.

Translated from French by Alexandra MV Andrist/ts