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Everything that changes in Switzerland in July 2020

There’s a lot set to change in Switzerland this month - and not all of it is coronavirus related.

Published: 2 July 2020 18:01 CEST
Updated: 4 July 2020 10:32 CEST
Everything that changes in Switzerland in July 2020
A commuter wearing a protective face masks enters a metro station in Lausanne on May 11, 2020. AFP

From paying bills to wearing masks, there’s a lot set to change this month. 

Have we missed anything important? Get in touch at [email protected]. 

Gender equality

The reformed Federal Act on Gender Equality went into force on July 1st.

It gives Switzerland's largest companies one year to monitor the salaries of their employees to detect any gender-based wage discrimination.

Pay a bill with a QR code

Keeping up with all your bills in Switzerland is hard even for native Swiss – but especially tough if you don’t speak the language. 

Fortunately that will be easier from July onwards, with QR codes appearing on bills sent to mailboxes all around Switzerland. 

QR codes will gradually phase out existing bills, letting you pay with just one click. 

Bill recipients simply scan a QR code with their phone and the payment can be made by clicking one command. 

New international train connections to begin on July 4th.

 

As of Saturday, the high-speed TGV Lyria starts operating several trains starting from Swiss cities of Geneva, Lausanne, Basel and Zurich, to Paris and Marseilles in France.

Also in July, some services will be suspended or modified due to repair works.

Masks in public transport

In a press conference on Wednesday, the Swiss government announced a surprising turn. The Federal Council announced a mask requirement for public transport – more than two months after masks were made compulsory in neighbouring countries. 

The mask requirement will be enforced from Monday, July 6th. 

The mask requirement will apply in all trains, trams, buses and on cable cars and ski lifts. Transport on ships and ferries will also be included. 

More information can be found at the following link. 

Everything you need to know about Switzerland's new compulsory mask requirement

Tourism from July 20th

Since June 15th, travel between most European countries has been re-opened, but restrictions are still in place for travellers from outside Europe from entering Switzerland. 

The EU announced that 15 so-called 'safe countries' would again be allowed in from July 1st, with the notable omission of the United States. 

Late on Wednesday, July 1st, Switzerland indicated it would follow the EU's decision – however this would not be until July 20th. 

A representative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration told The Local on July 1st that from July 20th, “Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay and the EU states outside the Schengen area (Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Romania and Cyprus) from the list of high-risk countries.”

Where can I travel? 

While the majority of European borders are again open to Swiss travellers, Finland is still to open. That will take place on July 14th. 

There are also plans for reciprocal arrangements with some of the above countries – so stay tuned to see whether these are finalised in the coming days. 

Quarantines from certain countries 

Switzerland announced on July 1st the imposition of quarantines on arrivals from ‘high risk’ countries, however a list of those countries has not yet been provided. 

According to Swiss media sources, Serbia and Montenegro – along with possibly Sweden and Kosovo – may be subject to quarantines on arrival. 

The quarantine period will last for ten days. 

Affected people will be informed on planes, coaches and at the borders, and must register with the local authorities once in Switzerland.

Anyone who appears to be sick must not be allowed to board buses, trains or flights to Switzerland. 

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QUALITY OF LIFE

‘Pleasantly constant’: Why Switzerland ranks as the ‘world’s best country’ — again

For the sixth time, Switzerland wins the coveted title of the world’s top country in an international ranking. Why does the nation make it to the no.1 spot —time after time?

Published: 6 September 2023 11:31 CEST
'Pleasantly constant': Why Switzerland ranks as the 'world’s best country' — again

It’s official: Switzerland has been ranked ahead of 87 other countries analysed by the US News & World Report for its 2023 ranking, which was released on Wednesday morning. 

It is the sixth time that Switzerland tops the rankings, which measure a country’s global performance based on 73 categories. They include entrepreneurship; quality of life; adaptability and progress; social purpose; and other attributes listed here. 

What exactly makes Switzerland the best in the world?

The country “snags the top spot for business-friendliness and education, “and ranks in the top 10 for quality of life, social purpose and cultural influence,” according to study authors. “Among attributes, it was considered No.1 for being economically stable, safe and least corrupt.”

“And while people may not see it as the sexiest place, they would like to live there.”

One of Switzerland’s top qualities, the study showed, is ‘consistency.’

Unlike the political and economic volatility of many other countries, “there is something pleasantly constant about Switzerland,” the survey found.

It is true that change of any kind is slow to come here.

Part of the reason for this sluggishness is cultural: the Swiss don’t like spontaneity (unless it’s planned) or doing anything on a whim. 

They believe that rushing things and making hasty decisions will have disastrous results, which is why they prefer to take a cautious — even if painstakingly slow — path.

As a general rule, the Swiss have a penchant not only for planning, but for pre-planning as well. They like to thoroughly examine each aspect of a proposed change and look at it from all possible angles.

Another reason (besides the cultural one mentioned above) contributes to Switzerland’s notorious slowness in decision-making — the country’s political system.

Due to Switzerland’s decentralised form of government, the Federal Council must consult with cantons before a decision can be made at the national level.

That, as you can imagine, could take a while as each of the 26 cantons may drag their individual feet, and there could be no consensus among them.

READ ALSO : Why are things so slow to change in Switzerland? 

While some may see this ‘consistency’ as a negative, the US News & World Report considers it to be a definite plus.

How did Switzerland rank in major categories?

‘Open for business’

In this category, the country is in the first place (100 points out of 100).

Simply, this means  the country  is ‘business friendly’ because the government has created a good environment for businesses to thrive. 

“Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled labour force and one of the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world,” the report relates. 

‘Educated population’

Here, too, Switzerland excels (100 points, first place).

Switzerland not only has an excellent and accessible education system, but according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), well over 80 percent of the country’s population have an upper secondary education or above.

This proportion is higher than the OECD average of 75 percent.

READ ALSO: How can foreigners get into a Swiss university?

‘Quality of life’

Here, Switzerland also got a high score ( 96.7), which places it in the fourth place.

This particular category, which includes essentials such as broad access to food, housing, quality education, healthcare, and employment, also comprises “intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality.”

This is not exactly a surprise, as Switzerland often ranks highly in this category in other international surveys as well. 

In which categories does Switzerland rate poorly?

‘Power’

Switzerland’s score here is 26, which lands it in the 20th place.

But this is actually good news, if you consider criteria for this category:

“The world’s most powerful countries also are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously.”

Needless to say, Switzerland has no interest in wielding global power.

Besides (unintentionally) invading neighbouring Liechtenstein on three occasions, Switzerland is not at all power-hungry.

This is not only because it is neutral, but also because its politics is based on peaceful coexistence.

(The number 1 spot in this category was snagged, not surprisingly, by the United States).

‘Movers’

This too is not a major surprise, since the sub-category here is ‘dynamic’, for which Switzerland was given a low score of 29.1.

The country did a bit better in the ‘distinctive’ and ‘unique’ sub-category, with scores of 43.5 and 42.1, respectively.

Overall, Switzerland is in the 26th place.

You can see details of each category here.

What is the Swiss reaction to the report?

Overwhelmingly positive, of course.

“What people love about us is our reliability and our predictability,” said Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S.

“With us, you know what you get, which is rare nowadays,” Alexandre Edelmann, head of Presence Switzerland, a government agency that promotes the country abroad, pointed out.

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