Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Flights to and from Germany disrupted due to strike; exorbitant prices of medications in Swiss pharmacies; and other news in our roundup on Thursday.
SWISS airline cancels Germany-bound flights
Due to a strike by security staff at some German airports, SWISS is canceling four flights from Hamburg to Zurich and two flights from Zurich to Düsseldorf and back, for today.
On Friday, five flights from Hamburg to Zurich and one flight from Hamburg to Geneva will also be canceled. Outbound flights are not affected.
In addition, two outbound and two return flights to Zurich from Düsseldorf have been cancelled.
Passengers booked on any of the affected flights can re-book for anther day free of charge.
A parallel strike by employees of German railway companies on Friday morning will disrupt train traffic as well.
The impact on Switzerland is not yet known, but SBB is planning to replace Deutsche Bahn's trains by Swiss ones at the border.
READ ALSO: Why do the Swiss strike less than other Europeans?
In Switzerland, drugs cost up to …400 percent more
Due mostly to excessive pharmacy markups, Swiss consumers pay exorbitant prices for some medications, in comparison with their European counterparts.
“We pay far too much for medicines compared to abroad,” according to Matthias Müller, spokesperson for SantéSuisse, the association of health insurance companies. Even generics are twice as expensive in Switzerland, he said.
For instance, a box of pantoprazole (which reduces the quantity of acid secreted by the stomach) costs 12.95 francs in Switzerland versus 2.69 euros in Germany, which means 394 percent more. Even a simple aspirin costs 410 percent more in Switzerland.
Such inflated drug prices are not only an unfair burden for Swiss consumers, but they also drive the cost of health insurance premiums upward, Müller pointed out.
That is a major problem, as premiums not only soared in 2023, but they are set to increase even further next year as well.
READ ALSO: Why is Swiss health insurance set to get more expensive?
Housing shortage spreads to the countryside
As there are not enough affordable accommodations in large cities, many people are looking for dwellings on the outskirts.
According to Ursina Kubli, head of property research at Zurich Cantonal Bank, many residents of Zurich, where there is a serious housing shortage, are now settling farther away, for instance in Schaffhausen and Aargau.
The same phenomenon can be observed in Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, and Bern, she said.
But does this shift mean that shortages and high rents will shift to the countryside as well?
This depends on the ability of those areas to absorb the growing demand. However, “the pressure on the housing market will increase in certain regions, Kubli said.
Revealed: The top 10 most popular apprenticeships
Vocational training is a very popular in Switzerland, with many young people choosing this option (also known as apprenticeships) rather than universities after finishing compulsory education.
READ ALSO: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
These are professions most young people opt for:
Business / commercial
Computer science
Retail
Medical Assistant
Draftsman
Caregiver
Logistics specialist
Health professional
Media specialist
Pharmacy assistant
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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SWISS airline cancels Germany-bound flights
Due to a strike by security staff at some German airports, SWISS is canceling four flights from Hamburg to Zurich and two flights from Zurich to Düsseldorf and back, for today.
On Friday, five flights from Hamburg to Zurich and one flight from Hamburg to Geneva will also be canceled. Outbound flights are not affected.
In addition, two outbound and two return flights to Zurich from Düsseldorf have been cancelled.
Passengers booked on any of the affected flights can re-book for anther day free of charge.
A parallel strike by employees of German railway companies on Friday morning will disrupt train traffic as well.
The impact on Switzerland is not yet known, but SBB is planning to replace Deutsche Bahn's trains by Swiss ones at the border.
READ ALSO: Why do the Swiss strike less than other Europeans?
In Switzerland, drugs cost up to …400 percent more
Due mostly to excessive pharmacy markups, Swiss consumers pay exorbitant prices for some medications, in comparison with their European counterparts.
“We pay far too much for medicines compared to abroad,” according to Matthias Müller, spokesperson for SantéSuisse, the association of health insurance companies. Even generics are twice as expensive in Switzerland, he said.
For instance, a box of pantoprazole (which reduces the quantity of acid secreted by the stomach) costs 12.95 francs in Switzerland versus 2.69 euros in Germany, which means 394 percent more. Even a simple aspirin costs 410 percent more in Switzerland.
Such inflated drug prices are not only an unfair burden for Swiss consumers, but they also drive the cost of health insurance premiums upward, Müller pointed out.
That is a major problem, as premiums not only soared in 2023, but they are set to increase even further next year as well.
READ ALSO: Why is Swiss health insurance set to get more expensive?
Housing shortage spreads to the countryside
As there are not enough affordable accommodations in large cities, many people are looking for dwellings on the outskirts.
According to Ursina Kubli, head of property research at Zurich Cantonal Bank, many residents of Zurich, where there is a serious housing shortage, are now settling farther away, for instance in Schaffhausen and Aargau.
The same phenomenon can be observed in Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, and Bern, she said.
But does this shift mean that shortages and high rents will shift to the countryside as well?
This depends on the ability of those areas to absorb the growing demand. However, “the pressure on the housing market will increase in certain regions, Kubli said.
Revealed: The top 10 most popular apprenticeships
Vocational training is a very popular in Switzerland, with many young people choosing this option (also known as apprenticeships) rather than universities after finishing compulsory education.
READ ALSO: Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
These are professions most young people opt for:
Business / commercial
Computer science
Retail
Medical Assistant
Draftsman
Caregiver
Logistics specialist
Health professional
Media specialist
Pharmacy assistant
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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