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Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Thursday

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Today in Switzerland: A round-up of the latest news on Thursday
The town of Moutier after a similar separatist vote in 2017. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Here's your round up of news on Thursday morning.

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No more ‘canton hopping’, Bern warns

Last Sunday, the town of Moutier voted to leave the canton of Bern and join Jura instead. Since then, some politicians have raised the issue of other communes choosing to do the same.

Bern is now calling on its other municipalities not to follow Moutier’s example. This warning is directed primarily at Belprahon, a small district that is home to some separatists.

Other communes currently in the canton “will remain Bernese”, authorities said, adding that “the Moutier ballot was the last vote of a Bernese municipality on its cantonal membership”.

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Switzerland is among ten top countries in terms of gender equality

A new ‘equality index’ released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows that Switzerland’s ranking improved significantly in comparison to previous years.

Switzerland made a giant leap in closing the gender gap by jumping up from the 18th to the 10th place, due in part to more women than ever being elected to the two houses of parliament in 2019. 

Since then, 42 percent of MPs in the National Council are female.

MPs call for suspension of flights between Brazil and Switzerland

In view of a dramatic Covid situation in Brazil, and to prevent the Brazilian virus from entering Switzerland, some deputies are calling for the suspension of air traffic between Sao Paolo and Zurich.

Currently, SWISS airline offers direct flights between the two cities five days a week.

However, Swiss virologist Didier Trono said that "there is no need to panic".

And the Federal Office of Public Health agreed that flight suspension is unnecessary, pointing out that "this type of measure should be taken on a European scale", and not just in Switzerland.

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Calls for referendum for a Swiss-made vaccine

Auns, an organisation which agitates for an independent and neutral Switzerland, has launched a campaign to hold a referendum on locally-produced vaccines. 

A spokesman for the organisation told 20 Minutes that the pandemic had showed Switzerland's "catastrophic reliance" on foreign countries. 

"You can't be perfect in a crisis. But the pandemic has scratched the image of well-organised Switzerland," the spokesperson said. 

The referendum would not only call for domestic vaccine production but it would also require a range of other products to be made locally. 

"We want to force the federal government and the cantons to take the various threat scenarios - from pandemics to blackouts to cyberattacks - seriously."

Auns, which is affiliated with the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), said this would be one of a number of referenda launched this year to improve Switzerland's independence. 

Swiss cheese, chocolate to ‘go vegan’ by 2025

Switzerland decided on Thursday, April 1st, to gradually phase out all dairy production over the next four years, meaning Swiss cheese and chocolate - two of the country’s most famous exports - will ‘go vegan’ by 2025.

The Swiss government announced on Thursday that from 2025, all Swiss dairy products will not contain milk from cows, goats or any other animal in Schedule II of the Swiss Molkereigesetzgebung (dairy legislation).

As a consequence, all Swiss chocolate, cheese, butter and ice cream must be made from vegan milk – or indeed any other kind of non-dairy liquid – from 2025.

Swiss cheese, known locally as Emmentaler, is one of the country’s best-known exports, while the country’s most famous chocolate makers include Toblerone and Lindt.

Read more at the following link. 

READ MORE: Swiss cheese, chocolate to ‘go vegan’ by 2025

Just for those who might not have spotted it, the final report is of course an April Fools story and should therefore not be taken seriously.

Swiss cheese and chocolate are not changing and will stay milky and delicious… at least for now.

Did we trick you? Do you know of any other good April fools pranks in Switzerland? Let us know at [email protected]

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