Two Swiss cities among the world’s ‘most liveable’; wealthy people won’t be subject to higher inheritance taxes; and other news in our Wednesday roundup.
Zurich and Geneva among the world’s most ‘liveable’ cities in 2025
Two Swiss cities made it to the top five in the Global Liveability Index. Compiled by the Economist magazine, it rated 173 cities worldwide.
Zurich shares the second place with Vienna, while Geneva is fifth.
Both cities got the maximum 100-point score for ‘healthcare’ and ‘education’ categories.
They also rank highly for ‘stability’,’infrastructure’, as well as ‘culture and environment’.
These findings were released on Tuesday, shortly after another international survey, the World Competitiveness Ranking, named Switzerland the most competitive nation on earth.
Parliament rejects the inheritance tax initiative
MPs in both houses of the parliament have decided against higher tax on inheritances exceeding 50 million francs — a measure sought by the Socialist Youth division of the Social Democratic Party.
Under their proposal, the proceeds of this windfall would be used for environmental causes and climate control measures.
However, on Tuesday deputies turned down this initiative, arguing that such a law would make Switzerland less attractive for wealthy individuals — people who already make a significant contribution to the federal, cantonal, and municipal revenues.
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The number of traffic jams on Swiss roads has exploded
Although they represent only 3 percent of the Swiss road network, motorways accounted for more than 40 percent of traffic jams in 2024, the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) said in a press release on Tuesday.
This increase in the number of bottlenecks has been much more noticeable: more than 55,500 hours of traffic jams were recorded on Swiss roads last year.
To address and improve this situation, ASTRA is planning targeted measures based on network maintenance and traffic management using intelligent systems.
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Geneva’s plan to keep its residents cool during heatwaves
With the official beginning of summer on June 21st — and given the forecast that calls for the hot weather to continue — Geneva authorities will, from that date, “deploy 26 summer installations” to provide some relief from the heat.
The city is installing 12 misting systems, six ‘micro-oases’, and eight shady areas in public spaces.
“These initiatives are part of the City of Geneva’s Climate Strategy, which aims to adapt public spaces to climate challenges by ensuring their proper use even during high temperatures,” municipal authorities said in a press release.
“They help lower the perceived temperature and thus encourage residents, especially those most vulnerable to extreme heat, to continue using public spaces in a welcoming and friendly environment, they added.
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