How Swiss should a Swiss product be? The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property has loosened the rules governing use of the Swiss cross – as a concession to global brands like the footwear company On. Until now, at least 60 percent of manufacturing costs have had to occur in Switzerland for a Swiss cross to be affixed to a product. In certain cases, a product designed or developed in Switzerland can now use it too. (WS) OECD criticises high cost of day care Switzerland still has work to do on gender equality, says an OECD report. The Swiss pay gap between men and women is one of the highest. This is mainly due to the high proportion of women in part-time work as well as the cost of childcare. In December, parliament approved a new law that paves the way for higher childcare allowances. (WS) E-ID vote – complaint rejected Last September saw 50.4 percent of the electorate vote yes to the introduction of digital IDs (e-ID). The Federal Supreme Court (FSC) rejected a legal bid to overturn the referendum result, which centred on a donation that Swisscom paid to supporters of the yes campaign – regarded as contrary to the principle that a state-controlled company must be politically neutral. The FSC deemed the objections inadmissible because they were submitted too late, and the result of the vote remains valid. E-ID is to be rolled out in December. (WS) Federal Council tightens too-big-to-fail rules The Federal Council wants systemically important (“toobig-to-fail”) banks like UBS to be subject to stricter capital requirements, so that investments in foreign subsidiaries are, in future, fully backed with readily available equity capital. This is following the collapse of Credit Suisse in 2023. The new rules aim to reduce the likelihood of another taxpayer-funded bailout and put the Swiss financial centre on a stronger footing. Parliament is due to debate the proposal in autumn. (WS) Federal Council decides not to increase retirement age The Federal Council has submitted its OASI reform proposals for consultation. Instead of increasing the retirement age, it wants to incentivise people to work longer by introducing a higher tax-free allowance from age 65 and allowing for greater flexibility in the transition to retirement. Taking early retirement would also be made harder. The changes would generate an extra 600 million Swiss francs a year for the pension system from 2030 to 2040. The question of funding remains open regarding the 13th state pension payment, the first of which is due in December. (WS) Erinaceus europaeus For the past 30 years, Pro Natura has selected Switzerland’s Animal of the Year, and for 2026, Switzerland’s oldest environmental organisation has chosen the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus in Latin) – a surprising decision given that this creature already has a high profile. The common hedgehog is just the cutest little spiky ball in the world. Hearing one snuffle and munch around the garden on a balmy summer’s night is particularly enjoyable. Volunteers around the country care for injured hedgehogs. Road signs alert drivers to hedgehogs, reminding them to slow down. Pro Natura has, nevertheless, chosen the animal to raise awareness. With numbers dwindling in Switzerland, hedgehogs have been classified as “potentially threatened” for the last four years. This is because they now live mainly in towns and villages, where they are being squeezed out of their habitat by humans. Pro Natura is calling on people to design and maintain hedgehog-friendly spaces. These nocturnal mammals need shelters to rest and build their nests. They need openings in fences and walls so that they can roam through gardens. And they need untouched spaces where plants attract the insects on which they like to feed – beetles, millipedes and caterpillars especially. Uncovered swimming pools and robotic lawnmowers are a no-no – both are a danger to life and limb. The latter would make short shrift of a hedgehog’s spikes, of which there are up to 8,000. Experts advise the Swiss public to forget their love of the neat and tidy; hedgehogs prefer unkempt patches with leaf piles and dead wood to pristine gardens with immaculate lawns. November is when they return to hibernation – provided they can find a suitable resting spot. SUSANNE WENGER News Photo: Pro Natura Swiss Review / July 2026 / No. 3 18 Top pick
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