Geneva residents to vote on speed limits; eight Swiss municipalities no longer allow secondary residences on their territory; and more news in our Friday roundup.
Geneva residents will vote on speed limits in their canton
Voters will have to decide on a law that would ban any speed limit below 50 km/h on major roads.
The referendum committee submitted a petition to this effect this week with 5,456 signatures – 1,184 more than required.
This measure is spearheaded by a broad coalition of neighbourhood associations, as well as mobility and environmental groups.
Opponents argue, however, that not being able to reduce the speed to 30 km/hour in residential areas – as many other cities had done – disregards the safety and health concerns of local residents, as well as their quality of life.
The date for the referendum has not yet been set.
Eight Swiss municipalities no longer allow secondary residences on their territory
Under Swiss law, only 20 percent of residences in any given community can be used as second homes.
Based on this 20-percent threshold, eight municipalities are now off-limits to new second-home construction.
They are Seehof and Ligerz (Bern), Lostallo (Graubünden), Céligny (Geneva), Muzzano and Tenero-Contra (Ticino), Mauraz (Vaud), and Moutier (Jura).
Another municipalitiy, Locarno in canton Ticino, is currently undergoing a review process to determine whether it meets the 20-percent rule.
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What the new government figures reveal about Switzerland’s population
At the end of 2025, 9,124,300 people were living permanently in Switzerland, representing an increase of 0.8 percent (+73,300 people) compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office o Thursday.
The population growth was recorded in all cantons.
The strongest increase was observed in Schaffhausen (+1.6 percet), Basel-City (+1.4 percent), and Valais (+1.3 percent).
On the other hand, Glarus and Ticino were at the bottom of the rankings (+0.2 percent for both), followed by Bern, Jura, and Neuchâtel (+0.4 percent).
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Things to remember this weekend:
Traffic:
READ MORE: What you should know about driving in Switzerland this Easter
Closings and openings:
READ MORE: What’s open and closed in Switzerland over Easter weekend?
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 news@thelocal.ch
