Swiss parliament rejects move for simplified naturalisation procedure; public transport tickets set to become more expensive in Zurich; and more news in our Friday roundup.
The Parliament rejects the push for a simplified naturalisation procedure
MPs will not standardise or simplify the Swiss naturalisation process, the Council of States decided on Thursday.
The National Council had previously also turned down this proposal.
As a reminder, the initiative proposes a right to Swiss citizenship after just five years of legal residence in Switzerland, instead of the current 10.
It will ultimately be up to the voters to decide, when the proposal is brought to the ballot box at a yet undetermined date.
READ MORE: What’s the new plan to cut residency periods for Swiss citizenship?
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The National Council seeks to restrict free choice of doctors for supplementary benefit recipients
The National Council wants individuals who do not pay their own health insurance premiums – for instance, recipients of social assistance and supplementary benefits – to forgo the free choice of doctor.
Instead, they will be assigned one.
Deputies approved the motion by 130 votes to 85.
The Council of States must now weigh in on this the proposal as well.
MPs are against Swiss cross logos on goods manufactured abroad
The Swiss cross should appear only on products manufactured domestically.
The Council of States is calling for this measure in response to the shoe brand On, which has recently been permitted to display the symbol on shoes produced abroad.
Several deputies have voiced their frustration regarding this change in practice by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) concerning the company On.
In March 2026, the IPI had clarified the conditions under which the Swiss cross could be displayed on products manufactured abroad: It may be used provided it is clearly linked to the concept of “Swiss Engineering” and complies with strict requirements regarding placement and size.
Public transport tickets set to become more expensive in Zurich
The canton’s Parliament has approved the fare adjustment for the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV).
Ticket prices within the ZVV network will rise by an average of 2.7 percent when the new timetable goes into effect in December.
The company said that rising operating costs and the ZVV strategy—under which public transport is required to cover at least 60 percent of its own costs—are behind this increase.
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