Why the hard-right proposal to cut immigration is ‘catastrophic’, and safety codes for residential buildings are not always up to scratch— these are among the Swiss news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Hard-right proposal to cut immigration is ‘catastrophic’, opponents say
The hard-right initiative seeking to curb the number of foreigners employed in Switzerland would have dire consequences for the country, its opponents have told The Local.
Representatives of trade unions as well as the youth wing of the Social Democratic Party are arguing that the ‘No to 10 million’ initiative instigated by the Swiss People’s Party will, if approved in a referendum in November, have “serious and far-reaching, consequences” on the labour market, worker protection, and wages.”
READ MORE: Why the Swiss anti-immigration vote is a ‘threat to anyone working in Switzerland’
Safety codes for residential buildings not always up to scratch
After a deadly New Year’s blaze in a Crans-Montana bar shed light on the lack of fire safety features at the venue, questions arise about what rules exist for apartment buildings in Switzerland.
These rules, are not uniform throughout Switzerland but are set and implemented by individual cantons, and appear to be laxer than in the EU and other countries.
For instance, neither smoke alarms nor fire extinguishers are mandatory in these buildings.
READ MORE: How strict are Switzerland’s fire safety regulations for residential buildings?
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Blaze-destroyed Crans-Montana bar has not been inspected since 2019
Officials in Crans-Montana admitted that they failed to conduct periodic fire and safety inspections over the past five years at a bar where a fire killed 40 people and injured 116 others.
“Periodic inspections were not conducted between 2020 and 2025. We bitterly regret this,” Crans-Montana mayor Nicolas Feraud told a press conference five days after the disaster at Le Constellation bar in the early hours of January 1st.
The bar owners – a French couple – are under criminal investigations as details of non-compliance with a number of safety rules, including lack of adequate evacuation routes, have come to light.
READ MORE: Swiss local authorities admit inspections failure at burnt-out bar
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Swiss supermarkets plan price reductions this year
Switzerland’s major retailers are announcing price cut on many products this year.
Though no specifics have been provided, Migros, Coop, Lidl, Aldi, and Denner all say they are aware that consumers want to save money and vowed to cut prices on a variety of foods and beverages.
As for Migros, its CEO said, that price hikes are not excluded.
Due to rising raw material costs, “price increases may prove unavoidable in some cases,” though their extent is currently difficult to estimate, he said.
READ MORE: How Swiss supermarkets will cut their prices in 2026
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Home buyers are faced with higher mortgage rates
The Swiss National Bank’s zero-percent interest rate, in place since June 2025, means mortgages should be very cheap.
And yet, 10-year fixed-rate mortgage rates have increased.
This is partly due to covered bonds – a type of bond issued by banks for the long-term refinancing of mortgage loans that is considered particularly safe.
Yields on these bonds have remained virtually unchanged over the past year, or even increased slightly.
As a result, financing costs for many mortgage seekers are higher than initially expected given the interest rate decline.
READ MORE: Why are fixed-rate mortgages rising in Switzerland despite a zero interest rate?
Does cutting speed limit on Swiss motorways work?
Swiss authorities are increasingly relying on 80 km/h limits on motorways during peak hours to prevent traffic jams and emissions. But not everyone is on board with this measure.
As far back as in 2023, the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) had proposed to bring down the speed limit at peak times on motorways from the current 120 km per hour to 80 km/h at certain times of the day.
“In a few years we will probably not be able to avoid ordering a speed limit of 80km/h throughout the Mittelland (Swiss Plateau region) during rush hours to prevent permanent traffic jams,” ASTRA director Jürg Röthlisberger said at the time.
According to these plans, the measure is supposed to be implemented nationwide sometime in 2026, tough no specific timeline has been set.
READ MORE: ‘It creates traffic jams’: Does cutting speed limit on Swiss motorways work?
