New ‘sleeper’ buses will soon connect Switzerland to European cities; lower federal budget deficit is posted due to higher tax revenues; and more news in our roundup on Thursday.
‘Sleeper’ buses will soon connect Switzerland to European cities
The Zurich-based startup Twiliner is launching sleeper buses this fall to connect Zurich, Bern, and Basel to Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium
These “nightliners” offer only 21 seats, but transform, at a touch of a button, into beds, like business class on an airplane.
“We want to offer an ultra-comfortable alternative to air travel – you board in the evening in Bern and arrive in Barcelona in the morning, completely rested,” said Luca Bortolani, Twiliner’s co-founder.
A one-way ticket from Bern to Barcelona will, initially, cost 156 francs one way for a 13-hour journey.
But Bortolani knows this price is not sustainable in the long-term.
“We must grow quickly, otherwise the business model will not be viable,” he said.
Higher tax revenues are reducing the federal budget deficit
There’s some good news on the financial front: the federal budget deficit this year is likely to be smaller than expected.
Due primarily to higher tax revenues, the government now predicts a deficit of 200 million francs – much lower than the original forecast of 800 million.
The regular budget is expected to show a surplus of 700 million francs, instead of the budgeted deficit of 500 million, the Federal Finance Administration (FFA) announced on Wednesday.
According to the FFA, however, the projection represents an estimate and should therefore be interpreted with caution.
Furthermore, the Federal Council said that the more positive short-term outlook does not change the fact that billions in deficit are to be expected from 2027, if the government’s austerity package is not implemented.
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Swiss public does not want to make any concessions to Donald Trump
The majority of Swiss citizens have spoken out against giving in to the US president, even though respondents expect the 39-percent tariffs to inflict damage on Switzerland’s economy
This is what emerges from a new survey carried out by YouGov polling institute.
Half of respondents also believe that Switzerland should focus more on its own products in the future, even though this could lead to higher prices; 41 percent oppose Swiss companies making larger investments in the USA.
Further, just over half of participants believe that, given the US attitude toward Swiss imports, Switzerland should cooperate more closely with the European Union.
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Have your say: Choose what the next Swiss banknotes will look like
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) unveiled on Wednesday the 12 designs for its future banknotes and is inviting the public to evaluate them online until September 7th, before a final selection is made in early 2026.
The designs were created around the theme “Switzerland and its Altitudes” – that is, the mountains.
In the first phase, the projects will be reviewed by the public and a committee of external experts.
The six top choices will advance to the second phase of the competition, which will focus on feasibility and commercial aspects. The winning design will be selected by the SNB and announced in early 2026.
You can review the proposed designs and make your choice here.
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