Negotiations with the EU on wage protection are stalled; new flight from Zurich to UK to be launched and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Negotiations with the EU on wage protection are stalled
The ongoing negotiations with the European Union on wage protection measures apply to workers who come to Switzerland from an EU member state to work for a certain period of time, with the employer in their home country paying their salaries.
Switzerland, however, wants to ensure that the wages of these workers are on par with those of Swiss employees.
The EU is reportedly delaying the process, but as it is a key issue for Switzerland, the Federal Council has given all sides until the end of January to reach an agreement in this matter.
Mortality rates in some German hospitals are up – and Switzerland plays a role
According to a new study carried out by the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim and the Ifo Institute in Munich, mortality in German hospitals located near the Swiss border has increased by 4.4 percent.
This is because nurses are leaving these particular German hospitals and coming to work in Switzerland’s health facilities, where salaries are quite a bit higher.
“The shortage of skilled workers primarily affects older patients and emergency cases. The mortality rate increased in these groups,” said study’s author Oliver Schlenker.
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How good is the Swiss passport in 2026?
Switzerland’s passport currently grants its holders a visa-free access to 186 countries, according to the new Henley Passport Index.
This places the Swiss passport in the third place out of the total of 199 ranked.
Switzerland is, however, is not alone: it co-shares this spot with Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Spain.
These are the countries that require Swiss nationals to have a visa.
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Edelweiss is adding new destinations to its summer 2026 timetable
From May 29th to September 14th, Edelweiss will fly from Zurich to Glasgow every Monday and Friday.
The airline is also adding the Zurich to Kefalonia route, with flights to the Greek island operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays from June 6th to August 29th.
These destinations will be in addition to the already announced flights to Windhoek in Namibia, which will operate on Mondays and Fridays from June 1st.
READ ALSO: All the new flights to and from Switzerland in 2026
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