Tag Archives: Politics

Currently, it is impossible for individuals to legally escape their debts in Switzerland, even when they have no chance of ever paying them back. Some find themselves trapped in debt for the rest of their lives. This week, the Federal Council unveiled a new legal procedure that will offer some heavily indebted people a second chance, reported RTS. Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.comAs an increasing number of people in Switzerland find themselves stuck in a debt trap, political pressure...

In 2023, Swiss voters accepted a plan to provide subsidies to replace oil and basic electric heating with cleaner more efficient heating, such as electric heat pumps. The plan involved spending CHF 200 million a year on such incentives over a 10-year period starting on 1 January 2025. However, Switzerland’s federal parliament decided in December 2024 to cut the quantum of the subsidies in 2025 by one quarter, reported RTS. Photo by alpha innotec on Pexels.comThis belt tightening by...

Until 31 December 2024 it was possible to enter Switzerland with CHF 300 of shopping per person per day without paying Swiss VAT. From 1 January 2025, the limit is CHF 150 per person per day. Carrefour © Viorel Dudau | Dreamstime.comThe Federal Council decided in October 2024 to cut the tax-free limit, despite negative reactions from many consumers and consumer associations. Politicians in some of the border cantons, St. Gallen and Thurgau in particular, have long lobbied for a...

After a stalemate last week, Switzerland’s federal parliament and upper house found a way forward this week on the abolition of imputed rent that both houses could agree on, reported SRF. Photo by Thomas P on Pexels.comFor more than seven years, the National Council and the Council of States have been discussing how to do away with the imputed rent, which is an amount added to the taxable income of homeowners. Now, after a lot of back and forth, the two houses have finally agreed on a way...

Every year, the bank UBS publishes its Worry Barometer, a poll that ranks the greatest concerns among Swiss voters. This week, it released the results for 2024. This year’s top concerns are healthcare, environmental and climate protection and retirement provision. Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.comPolling for the survey conducted from mid-August to mid-September and included the views of 2,250 voters. The survey revealed a rise in financial concerns. Financial uncertainty and...

In 2022, Swiss voted to increase the official retirement age of women from 64 to 65, bringing it into line with the age for men. Later, an error was found in some of the numbers presented to voters to justify the change. After the error was revealed, the Socialist and Green parties asked Switzerland’s highest court to overturn the vote because of these erroneous figures. This week, the court rejected the complaint, reported RTS. Photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels.comThe federal court’s...

Share this article DR. THORSTEN POLLEIT (WWW.BOOMBUSTREPORT.COM) INTERVIEWS CLAUDIO GRASS Thorsten Polleit (TP): On November 5, 2024, Donald J. Trump was elected the new U.S. president with a landslide victory. His declared goal is to take on the “Deep State” and its bureaucracy. His advisor, Elon Musk, is urging the reduction of national debt, and even the inflationary Federal Reserve (Fed) has become a target, described as an evil that must be healed. Is all...

Share this article DR. THORSTEN POLLEIT (WWW.BOOMBUSTREPORT.COM) INTERVIEWS CLAUDIO GRASS Thorsten Polleit (TP): On November 5, 2024, Donald J. Trump was elected the new U.S. president with a landslide victory. His declared goal is to take on the “Deep State” and its bureaucracy. His advisor, Elon Musk, is urging the reduction of national debt, and even the inflationary Federal Reserve (Fed) has become a target, described as an evil that must be healed. Is all this just early enthusiasm,...

On Thursday, Switzerland’s federal parliament accepted a budget for 2025 by 120 versus 73 votes, reported RTS. Opposing votes came from politicians on the left, who make up a large minority in Switzerland’s lower house. Photo by Louis on Pexels.comIncluded in the budget were an increase in military spending, cuts to farm subsidies and large cuts to international aid. Increases in state pensions, known as an extra 13th month, will go ahead as planned starting in 2026. Spending on...

Share this article Sir Halford Mackinder’s famous Heartland Theory was first formulated in the early 20th century, but it holds renewed relevance and importance today, especially when analyzed though a critical lens of the current geopolitical system, one that emphasizes individual freedom, limited government intervention, and skepticism of centralized power. Mackinder’s theory posits that control over the “Heartland” — roughly the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia — grants...