Russia wants Switzerland to maintain its neutrality; Gotthard Tunnel to close to traffic for several nights in August; plus other news in our roundup this Thursday.
Russia backs Switzerland’s ‘Neutrality Initiative’
In a surprising move (at least for Switzerland), the Russian Foreign Ministry is openly campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote on the neutrality initiative, which will be voted on in a national referendum on September 27th.
In a lengthy Telegram post, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said Swiss voters should approve the bid by the right-wingers to strengthen Switzerland’s neutrality.
Why is Russia so interested in Swiss neutrality? The reason is simple: among the demands of the initiative’s instigators is one that would forbid Bern to impose sanctions on other nations – including those against Russia.
It is unclear what (if any) influence Russia’s support of the initiative would have on the vote’s outcome.
READ MORE: The future of Swiss neutrality to be decided at the ballot box
Gotthard Tunnel to be closed for several nights in August
As a major north-south link, the Gotthard tunnel is a much used – and frequently congested – road, especially during the peak summer travel period.
However, due to maintenance work on the tunnel’s ceiling, the Federal Roads Office will close the 17-km-long route between Göschenen (Uri) and Airolo (Ticino) to traffic from Monday to Thursday, 11 pm to 5 am, between August 10th and 27th.
Mandatory dog training courses could be reintroduced on national level
MPs are debating the return of obligatory dog training classes, which were discontinued 10 years ago.
At the time, the Parliament had abolished the nationwide requirement for these courses, passing the responsibility of deciding whether such training is needed on to individual cantons.
Some deputies have, however, spoken in favour of reinstating this obligation nationwide.
The move’s instigator, MP Meret Schneider, is pushing for the mandatory training, backed by the dog advocacy group, Hund Schweiz.
Zero interest rates drive up Swiss real estate prices
The ongoing zero interest-rate policy continues to provide a tailwind for the Swiss real estate market.
Residential property prices rose again in the first half of 2026, with single-family homes seeing particularly significant price increases.
Prices for apartments rose by an average of 2.4 percent compared to the end of 2025, while prices for single-family homes climbed by 3.7 percent.
These figures come from an analysis published on Wednesday by Moneypark and PriceHubble.
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