Individuals can opt out of church tax in most cantons. But companies rarely can, despite many having no connection with a church or a religion. The topic has been a hot political subject for a long time in Switzerland and came back under the spotlight this week when the canton of Bern discussed making it optional, reported SRF. © Nuvisage | Dreamstime.comIn 2021, the canton of Bern collected CHF 37 million in church tax from companies, so a change in rules would be felt. A key...
Read More »Sound Individualism vs Toxic Collectivism
Share this article Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland When it comes to the State, however, and all its ministries, branches and institutions, a very different set of rules seems to apply – a much more lenient, flexible and liberal one. For example, the core pledge of security, protection and stability has yet to be fulfilled: no government has ever delivered on any of these promises socially, economically, geopolitically, or monetarily for any...
Read More »Sound Individualism vs Toxic Collectivism
Share this article Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland When it comes to the State, however, and all its ministries, branches and institutions, a very different set of rules seems to apply – a much more lenient, flexible and liberal one. For example, the core pledge of security, protection and stability has yet to be fulfilled: no government has ever delivered on any of these promises socially, economically, geopolitically, or monetarily for any meaningful period of time. No...
Read More »Private property rights under siege
Share this article Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland People invest in gold for many different reasons. Many do so out of concern over economic, monetary or political uncertainty. Others seek a hedge against inflation, a way to protect and preserve the real purchasing power of their savings. There are also those who simply seek some peace of mind, a dependable insurance, so that no matter what the future holds and no matter how bad the “worst case...
Read More »Private property rights under siege
Share this article Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland People invest in gold for many different reasons. Many do so out of concern over economic, monetary or political uncertainty. Others seek a hedge against inflation, a way to protect and preserve the real purchasing power of their savings. There are also those who simply seek some peace of mind, a dependable insurance, so that no matter what the future holds and no matter how bad the “worst case scenario” turns out to be, they...
Read More »Higher Swiss pensions – voter support narrows
Support for the popular initiative to boost state pensions by 1/13 narrowed from 61% to 53% between 14 January and 10 February, according to a poll published by RTS. © Bigpressphoto-Dreamstime.comVoting intentions vary significantly by age. In the latest poll, people under 40 were most against it (55%), possibly because they know they will probably need to finance most of it. While only 34% of those 65 and over were against it. Those in the middle are the middle, with only 42% opposed to...
Read More »A perfect storm in the making
Share this article The New Year is usually associated with a new beginning, a fresh start, or a “clean slate”. Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, these are wishes that are bound to remain unfulfilled – for them, the New Year has nothing “new” to offer at all: it will only perpetuate all the same burdens, obligations and worries of the past year and of the ones that came before. One physical, practical manifestation of this (though it is certainly not a unique, or even a rare,...
Read More »A perfect storm in the making
The New Year is usually associated with a new beginning, a fresh start, or a “clean slate”. Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, these are wishes that are bound to remain unfulfilled – for them, the New Year has nothing “new” to offer at all: it will only perpetuate all the same burdens, obligations and worries of the past year and of the ones that came before. One physical, practical manifestation of this (though it is certainly not a unique, or even a rare,...
Read More »Europe’s Agrarian Uprisings: Brussels is reaping what it sowed
Share this article Across the European landscape, a disquiet rumbles beneath the surface of rolling hills and fertile plains. It emanates from the very backbone of the continent – its farmers. From the tractor rallies of France and Germany to the demonstrations in Poland and the Netherlands, a wave of agrarian protests has erupted, driven by a potent cocktail of frustration, betrayal, and a yearning for stability. Over the past few years, farmers in Western Europe have increasingly...
Read More »High Swiss rent – little support for rent controls
Rents have risen significantly in Switzerland, something potentially affecting the 61% of the population living in rented accommodation. A survey by Deloitte places rent control at the bottom of a list of solutions. Photo by ILOVESwitzerland on Pexels.comThe survey, which questioned 1,900 people across Switzerland, found rent controls to be the least preferred solution to dealing with rising rents – only 4% of those with an opinion chose this option. Cities such as Berlin have introduced...
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