Death threats, insults, posters vandalised or set on fire: the campaign for two initiatives against pesticides to be put to the vote on June 13 is extremely tense. This toxic climate highlights a deep malaise in the Swiss agricultural world. Scenes of vandalism are becoming regular features as two initiatives that seek to ban pesticides come to a vote in June. Union suisse des paysans “My children live in fear because they have suffered attacks and insults on social...
Read More »Decentralization: Why the EU May Be Better than the US
Over the years, I’ve been pretty hard on the European Union. Both as an editor and a writer, I’ve published articles criticizing its central bank and its unelected, bureaucratic central government. Especially objectionable is the EU ruling class’s propensity for cynical politics built around threatening and intimidating voters and national governments who don’t conform to Brussels’ wishes. Recall, for example, how the EU threatened the United Kingdom with retaliatory...
Read More »Covid: new cases down 28% in Switzerland this week
This week, 5,670 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, down 28% from the week before (7,843), continuing the downward trend of new numbers of recorded infections. © Fabiobalbi | Dreamstime.com The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average has more than halved (-58%) in 4 weeks falling from 1,924 to 810. With around 34% of Switzerland’s population vaccinated with at least one dose by 26 May 2021, vaccination appears to be having a positive impact on...
Read More »Malta under Pressure
by Dr. Federica Saini Fasanotti Malta is a compact archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, 80 km from Sicily, 333 km from Libya and 284 km from Tunisia. It had a long list of rulers, including the Phoenicians, the Byzantines, the Arabs and later the French under Napoleon and finally the British. The island gained independence in 1964, and in 2004 it joined the European Union. In recent years, the smallest EU member state, with a population of less than half a...
Read More »Swiss prepare for EU chill after quitting market access talks
In Brussels there was shock and anger. In Switzerland, quiet celebration and relief — but, for some, doubts about what exactly comes next. An employee checks an oscillating surgical bone saw blade at the company Gomina in Niederwald, canton Valais, Switzerland, in 2018. The Swiss medical devices sector, which exports almost half of all devices to the EU, is expected to be affected by Switzerland’s decision to pull out of an institutional framework agreement with the...
Read More »FX Daily, May 28: The Yuan Extends Gains, While Sterling’s First Close above $1.42 in Three Years Goes for Nought
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.15% to 1.0948 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, May 28(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The recovery of the US 10-year yield, so it is flat on the week near 1.61% coupled with month-end demand, is helping the US dollar firm. While the yen is bearing the burden on the week, with a 0.8% loss, the Antipodeans are leading the downside on the day. Although the New Zealand...
Read More »Covid: UK now on Swiss risk list
On 27 May 2021, the UK was added Switzerland’s list of risk countries. This means that anyone arriving in Switzerland from the UK from 6pm on Thursday must quarantine upon arrival, with a few exceptions. © Tommy Beattie | Dreamstime.com The UK was added to the Federal Office of Public Health’s (FOPH) list of countries with a worrying variant, alongside Brazil, Canada, India, Nepal and South Africa. A number of other countries and regions are listed because of...
Read More »More Evidence the American Economic “Recovery” Will Disappoint
The University of Michigan consumer confidence index fell to 82.8 in May, from 88.3 in April. More importantly, the current conditions index slumped to 90.8, from 97.2 and the expectations index declined to 77.6, from 82.7. Hard data also questions the strength of the recovery. April retail sales were flat, with clothing down 5.1 percent, general merchandise store sales fell 4.9 percent, leisure and sporting goods were down 3.6 percent, with food and drink services...
Read More »B.1.617.2: Erste Impfdosis wenig wirksam gegen indische Variante
Mit welcher Variante des Coronavirus ein Mensch infiziert ist, kann nur per Sequenzierung festgestellt werden. In Großbritannien wird deutlich mehr sequenziert als beispielsweise in Deutschland. / Foto: Adobe Stock/angellodeko Ein wichtiger Treiber der hohen Covid-19-Fallzahlen, die derzeit aus Indien gemeldet werden, ist die SARS-CoV-2-Variante B.1.617, genauer gesagt die Unterklade B.1.617.2. Weil sie noch nicht so lange zirkuliert, herrscht über einige wichtige...
Read More »PostFinance E-Trading Review 2021 – Pros and Cons
(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links) PostFinance is a well-known Swiss bank and broker. They are generally considered to be very affordable and very easy to use. If you want a Swiss broker, should you use PostFinance as a Swiss investor, especially as a passive investor? This is what we are going to find out in this in-depth review. In this article, we will see what PostFinance offers as a broker, how much it costs, and much more too. By the...
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