Older people have problems finding work, and government wants to recruit dual nationals to serve in the Swiss military — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Older people are not being hired in Switzerland
Many people over the age of 50 report difficulties in finding a job.
Generally speaking, employers are not allowed to discriminate against candidates based on their age
But this kind of attitude is nevertheless rife, experts say, adding that age discrimination is ‘standard practice’ throughout the country.
In fact, studies show that three out of four workers in Switzerland face an age-related disadvantage when changing jobs.
READ ALSO: What are the chances of getting a new job in Switzerland if you’re over 50?
Government wants dual nationals ro serve in the Swiss army
A decades-old agreement between Bern and Paris gives dual Swiss-French nationals a ‘way out’ of military service in Switzerland. But this could now change.
Each year, about 800 Franco-Swiss take advantage of this law to dodge the Swiss army.
However, the lack of recruits and increasingly tense security situation in Europe has prompted first the parliament and now the Federal Council to seek changes to this rule.
It will therefore seek to re-negotiate the agreement with Paris to this effect.
READ ALSO: Switzerland to crack down on dual-nationals who skip military service
Parliament doesn’t want ministers to speak English with foreign leaders
Swiss MPs have passed a parliamentary motion curbing the ability of Switzerland’s top politicians to speak English in international settings.
Instead, they should speak one of the country’s national languages — German, French, or Italian — with foreign politicians or organisations which also use these languages, and not automatically revert to English.
However, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, who often has to represent Switzerland abroad, called the proposal “absurd” because it would curtail the freedom of communication while abroad.
READ ALSO: Could Swiss ministers be banned from speaking English?
Advertisement
MPs approve tax justice for married couples
Swiss MPs finally approved a reform of the longstanding legislation by allowing separate, rather than joint, taxation of spouses.
This means that the individual taxation of married couples is to be introduced in Switzerland at last, having received the majority’s support in the parliament.
This move will bring closure to an issue that has been in legislative limbo for years.
READ ALSO: Switzerland approves new tax system for married couples
Geneva residents are increasingly affected by traffic jams.
As construction sites are multiplying throughout Geneva, the streets of Switzerland’s second-largest city are continually congested, with residents and local businesses complaining about this “untenable situation.”
A number of streets are either completely or partially closed to cars and buses, with traffic being diverted elsewhere, causing congestion and bottlenecks.
However, this problem will not be solved anytime soon because the biggest project, by Geneva Industrial Services (SIG) to install a new heating system, is expected to last at least until 2045.
READ ALSO: Why has traffic in Geneva become a nightmare for residents?
Advertisement
Switzerland is exposed to environmental danger due to climate change
After a massive glacier collapse in the canton of Valais at the end of May 2025, the Swiss government published a list of other dangers that are likely to impact Switzerland in coming decades.
In a new report, the Federal Office for the Environment identified 34 events that could seriously impact Switzerland from now until year 2060.
They include hazards derived from the increase in both extreme and average heat; the increase in summer heat; greater potential for natural hazards; as well as the increasing modification of natural environments and species composition.
READ ALSO: The major climate change-related risks facing Switzerland
