The planned Basel to Malmö train is scrapped due to lack of federal funds; Swiss reveal their biggest worries; and more news in our roundup this Wednesday.
Lack of finances derails the Basel to Malmö train
Swiss national railways (SBB) announced in October the launch, in April 2026, of a train connecting Basel with the Swedish city of Malmö, and had even started to sell tickets for this route.
These plans, however, are now scrapped, as the Parliament has withdrawn 10 million francs earmarked in the federal budget for this purpose.
The narrow majority of MPs argued that this train is not a *strategic priority” for Switzerland and it is therefore “unacceptable that taxpayers would pay for this through their taxes.”
Without this money, operating the planned train would not be economically viable for the SBB.
READ ALSO: Swiss national railway unveils new night train to Sweden via Denmark and Germany
The National Council greenlights daycare funding for children up to eight years old
The federal government is to provide 100 million francs over four years to support daycare centres, in addition to a childcare allowance for working parents, to be financed by contributions from employers, employees and the cantons.
This measure, approved on Tuesday, aims to support out-of-home childcare and encourage parents’ professional activity.
The Federal Act on Support for Supplementary Family Childcare is the indirect counter-proposal to the popular initiative “For good and affordable supplementary family childcare for all.”
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Swiss employers are ‘cautiously optimistic’ for 2026
Even though thousands of jobs are set to be scrapped next year in Switzerland, the net employment outlook (NEO) rose by 2 percent (to 27 percent) compared to the previous quarter.
This is what emerges from a survey published on Tuesday by recruitment agency Manpower, which measures the proportion of companies that want to hire new employees.
The outlook, however, varies by sector. It is particularly gloomy in the finance/insurance and trade/logistics sectors.
Regionally, the Mittelland area shows the most significant decrease. Although Zurich remains at a comparatively high hiring level, it is also experiencing a year-on-year decline.
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Worries that keep Swiss people up at night
According to the ‘Worry Barometer’ published by UBS bank on Tuesday, the issue that concerns people in Switzerland most is the cost of the health insurance premium – a top concern for 45 percent of the population.
Next are climate change (31 percent), immigration (30), relations with the EU (25), and rents (24)..
As for Donald Trump, 19 percent of Swiss survey respondents are preoccupied by his policies – a significant increase over 2024, when only 2 percent of people considered him to be an issue.
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