Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
What weather you can expect this week; higher interest rates ahead; and other Swiss news in our Monday roundup.
Weather forecast: what’s ahead this week
It has been cold and snowy in most regions of Switzerland, and this weather is expected to continue at least until the middle of this week.
“The temperatures will remain low for the next few days,” according to MeteoNews weather service.
Some regions, including west of the country, as well as the area between the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps (known as the Plateau), will also experience strong gusts of wind, ranging from 50 km/h to nearly 100 km/h.
This is what you can expect in your region.
Central bank president announces further interest rate hike
After having raised its key interest rates three times in the past year, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) chief Thomas Jordan said on Sunday that more increases are imminent.
Though he didn’t specify by how much the rates will go up this time, analysts believe interest will be raised by another 0.5 percent, bringing it to 1.5 percent.
This hike would make mortgages more expensive, while bank accounts would, on the other hand, yield higher returns on savings.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What the steep rise in Swiss interest rates could mean for you
Not all Swiss MPs admit to being dual nationals
While it is not illegal for the elected officials to have a foreign passport in addition to the Swiss one, they are nevertheless required to report their dual citizenship on the parliament’s official website.
This obligation went into effect in summer of 2022.
However, some deputies, mostly from the leftist parties, have not yet fulfilled this obligation, claiming they forgot to do so— an explanation which doesn’t sound credible to the right-wing MPs.
"I don't see what what prevents parliamentarians from disclosing their nationalities in a transparent way," Marco Chiesa from the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) said on Saturday.
One such case that made news in October 2022 was that of MP Michèle Blöchliger, who sparked controversy by first denying she was a dual Swiss / UK national, and then admitting it.
READ MORE : Swiss politician under fire for not admitting she is British
REVEALED: The most popular cow name in Switzerland
The wait is over… the most popular bovine name is BELLA!
Some 4,422 Swiss cows bear this name, according to data released on Friday by the Agricultural Information Service LID.
The second place in the ranking (3,327 cows) is occupied by Fiona, followed by Bianca in the third position (3,120 cows).
However, this being Switzerland, regional differences appear: while Bella is number one in German and French-speaking parts of the country, Luna is in the first place in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
Runners-up are Sina in Swiss-German parts, and Tulipe and Etoile in French-language areas.
Commit these names to memory, as you may have to recite them during a naturalisation interview. Not knowing this essential piece of information may be taken to mean you are not sufficiently integrated. (Better yet, to impress your local naturalisation committee, learn the names of cows in your village).
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Weather forecast: what’s ahead this week
It has been cold and snowy in most regions of Switzerland, and this weather is expected to continue at least until the middle of this week.
“The temperatures will remain low for the next few days,” according to MeteoNews weather service.
Some regions, including west of the country, as well as the area between the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps (known as the Plateau), will also experience strong gusts of wind, ranging from 50 km/h to nearly 100 km/h.
This is what you can expect in your region.
Central bank president announces further interest rate hike
After having raised its key interest rates three times in the past year, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) chief Thomas Jordan said on Sunday that more increases are imminent.
Though he didn’t specify by how much the rates will go up this time, analysts believe interest will be raised by another 0.5 percent, bringing it to 1.5 percent.
This hike would make mortgages more expensive, while bank accounts would, on the other hand, yield higher returns on savings.
READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What the steep rise in Swiss interest rates could mean for you
Not all Swiss MPs admit to being dual nationals
While it is not illegal for the elected officials to have a foreign passport in addition to the Swiss one, they are nevertheless required to report their dual citizenship on the parliament’s official website.
This obligation went into effect in summer of 2022.
However, some deputies, mostly from the leftist parties, have not yet fulfilled this obligation, claiming they forgot to do so— an explanation which doesn’t sound credible to the right-wing MPs.
"I don't see what what prevents parliamentarians from disclosing their nationalities in a transparent way," Marco Chiesa from the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) said on Saturday.
One such case that made news in October 2022 was that of MP Michèle Blöchliger, who sparked controversy by first denying she was a dual Swiss / UK national, and then admitting it.
READ MORE : Swiss politician under fire for not admitting she is British
REVEALED: The most popular cow name in Switzerland
The wait is over… the most popular bovine name is BELLA!
Some 4,422 Swiss cows bear this name, according to data released on Friday by the Agricultural Information Service LID.
The second place in the ranking (3,327 cows) is occupied by Fiona, followed by Bianca in the third position (3,120 cows).
However, this being Switzerland, regional differences appear: while Bella is number one in German and French-speaking parts of the country, Luna is in the first place in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.
Runners-up are Sina in Swiss-German parts, and Tulipe and Etoile in French-language areas.
Commit these names to memory, as you may have to recite them during a naturalisation interview. Not knowing this essential piece of information may be taken to mean you are not sufficiently integrated. (Better yet, to impress your local naturalisation committee, learn the names of cows in your village).
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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