Economists give a dim outlook for Switzerland’s economy; government wants to modernise the emergency alarm system in Switzerland; and more news in our roundup on Friday.
Swiss economy to suffer a setback, economists say
Higher US tariffs have clouded the outlook for the Swiss economy, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said on Thursday.
Based on recently revised GDP data, experts project “significantly below-average economic growth of 1.3 percent in 2025, slowing further to 0.9 percent in 2026,” SECO announced.
“This forecast reflects expectations of a weak second half of 2025 and is based on the technical assumption that international tariffs will remain at current levels,” it added.
READ ALSO: Swiss exports to US tumble as Trump’s tariffs start to bite
Government wants to modernise the emergency alarm system in Switzerland
The Federal Council is seeking to create the legal basis for the introduction of a new emergency alarm system, complementing the already existing Alertswiss app.
The main feature of the new alert strategy would be short SMS messages transmitted to all mobile phones located within a defined area, where emergencies are about to occur.
This system is already used in neighbouring countries, government said.
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AXA insurance excludes older people from premium comparison
Every resident of Switzerland, regardless of age, must have the basic health insurance coverage.
However, it appears that AXA offers an online premium comparison for “savings potential” – but only for younger people; those over 65 receive a confusing error message: “Unfortunately, you cannot be insured.”
In response to queries, AXA admitted that it is targeting a specific demographic to whom it can sell supplementary health insurance – only people “who are not yet over 65 years old at the time of purchase.”
In other words, mostly those who have no pre-exiting health issues.
According to SRF public broadcaster, which reported the story on Thursday, “health insurance companies must treat everyone equally when it comes to basic insurance. Therefore, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), excluding people over 65 from premium comparisons is not permissible.”
However, since AXA doesn’t directly sell basic health insurance, it is not bound by these rules.
READ ALSO: Can Swiss health insurance exclude me if I have pre-existing conditions?
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Basel is planning a swimming pool along railway tracks
A 100-metre-long natural pool is being planned on the Dreispitz site in Basel, along the railway ramp where freight trains were once loaded – right on the cantonal border between Basel-City and Basel-Country.
The goal of this pool, still in the design phase, is “to improve the quality of life” for nearby residents, as, according to its architects, “it’s unbearably hot there in the summer.”
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