ven, Sep 30th 2022
Swiss chocolate bunnies are protected under law, Fribourg enacts toughest energy conservation measures yet, and more in our roundup of news from September 26 – 30.
Switzerland named “Best Country” in the world
Switzerland this week was named the #1 “Best Country” on US News & World Report’s annual report ranking countries on factors such as quality of life, business-friendly, adventure and cultural influence. Switzerland was followed by Germany, Canada, the United States, Sweden and Japan. While Switzerland ranked low on metrics such as affordability and “sexy,” it scored a perfect 100 on educated population, safety, political and economic stability. While the U.S. was ranked #1 for global power, it did not make the top 20 for quality of life. “From a financial or industrial point of view, some of the major companies intermediating raw materials – oil, for instance – are based in Switzerland,” said Carlo Bastasin, a Brookings Institute senior fellow. He added that Switzerland benefits from its traditional neutrality during a time of international conflict; although, the country recently broke its neutrality to sanction Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. En savoir plus.
What it’s like living in the ‘Best Country’ in the world, according to an expat
Swiss Made Direct files lawsuit against Swiss Post
Swiss Made Direct this week made headlines again for its ‘David versus Goliath’ lawsuit against the Swiss Post. The lawsuit accuses the national postal service of copying Swiss Made Direct’s business model through information collected during a partnership and exploiting it through the Swiss Post’s obvious monopoly. The lawsuit has been filed with Switzerland’s Competition Commission. The owner and CEO of Swiss Made Direct, Yves Beljean, sat down with UltraSwiss this week for a more in-depth Q&A. Beljean said the Post crushes others with its “its economic power, the privileges provided by the monopoly in certain activities, and its membership of the Universal Postal Union. We are ‘small’ in the international remittance business and are now suffering the consequences.” He added that Switzerland is a country that was built on small businesses. En savoir plus.
Swiss chocolate’s battle of the bunnies
Switzerland’s highest court this week ruled that the gold foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies from Lindt & Sprüngli are protected under law from copycats; and, that German company Lidl is ordered to stop selling a similar product. Moreover, the discount grocery store must destroy all its remaining stock of chocolate bunnies. The Swiss chocolate maker has fought many similar court battles over the years to protect its best-selling product. En savoir plus.
Fribourg bans elevators, nighttime lighting in the name of energy conservation
Two weeks from today, the canton of Fribourg will launch some of the toughest energy restrictions in Switzerland. Cantonal officials say that more than 40 percent of their winter energy needs are imported (gas and electricity), so the “question is whether or not we will make it through the winter,” security advisor Romain Collaud told the Fribourg State Council this week. The canton will begin with restrictions in its state and public buildings; including banning elevator use (except for handicapped persons), thermostats cannot be set above 19 degrees C, private heaters are banned, and all cantonal roads and walkways will not be lit from 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. This is considered Phase I. No word on when Phase II will begin and what it will entail. “We went from a possible scenario to a probable scenario,” said Cantonal President Olivier Curty. En savoir plus.
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