Introduction of e-ID will be delayed; Switzerland’s population is still among the richest in the world; and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Introduction of e-ID will be delayed
Though planned to be launched in December 2026, the long-in-the-works electronic identity won’t be introduced this year due to security concerns.
Because of recent developments in artificial intelligence, improvements are necessary to ensure data protection and security, the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) announced on Tuesday.
The planned new technical measures aim, in particular, to make it more difficult to introduce malware onto devices and to improve the detection of deepfakes. “Security is more important than adhering to the initial timeline,” the FOJ stated.
The FOJ will announce a new launch date for the e-ID at a later date.
Yes, Switzerland’s population is still among the richest in the world
This is what emerges from The Global Wealth analysis that UBS Bank released on Tuesday.
With an average wealth per adult – including income, assets, and investments – of approximately $910,382 (735,000 francs), Switzerland is in the top position, followed by the United States ($696,277) and Luxembourg ($654,732).
However, in terms of median wealth, Switzerland is only in the 8th place ($145,555), below other European nations like Luxembourg (1st), Belgium (2nd), and Denmark (5th).
A coalition committee supports cantonal minimum wages
A committee made up of trade unions and political parties wants to launch a referendum against the overriding of cantonal and municipal minimum wages by collective labour agreements (CLAs).
“This measure is an attack on all low-wage workers,” said Vania Alleva, vice-president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB) and president of the Unia trade union.
The bone of contention is a recent parliamentary decision which allows industry-specific CLAs to override minimum wages set by cantons or municipalities.
“Minimum wages are to be understood as a measure against poverty,” Alleva poined out. “They prevent taxpayers from indirectly subsidising social assistance for low earners.”
Zurich will ‘scrap’ a motorway on its territory
When originally constructed in the 1970s, the A50 motorway was intended to serve primarily heavy-goods vehicle traffic linking Basel to eastern Switzerland via Zurich.
The motorway had not, however, lived up to its expectations and has been mostly underused: Fewer than 14,000 vehicles per day drive along the four-lane highway, while some single-lane cantonal roads in Zurich handle almost twice as much traffic.
Now, in a first-ever such move in Switzerland, Zurich is going to ‘demote’ the A50 into a simple cantonal road.
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