Vatican geopolitics
The Church’s global influence will dwindle unless a new Catholic wave reverses current trends.
UBS acquires Credit Suisse: a new era begins
UBS acquires Credit Suisse with Federal Council approval granting a guarantee for additional liquidity support to Credit Suisse from the…
The U.S. is subsidizing clean energy. What about the EU?
American efforts to advantage its clean energy sector may sting Europe, but Brussels has few effective options to respond.
Oil markets: An early peek into 2023
Despite Western sanctions and volatile prices, Russian oil exports proved resilient last year. The global oil market may face different…
People of Liechtenstein reject casino ban with clear NO vote
In the Principality of Liechtenstein, an initiative to ban casinos was voted on where it called for the closure of existing ones within the…
Post-globalization: The West’s strategy options
After three decades of openness and cooperation, the world is breaking into hostile blocs. For the West, “friend-shoring” may be the best…
The AHV 21 reform will become effective on January 1, 2024
The AHV 21 reform was accepted by the people and cantons on September 25, 2022, and the Federal Council set an effective date of January 1,…
The Swiss Federal Council gets a makeover
On December 7, 2022, the Federal Assembly elected Albert Rösti and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider to the Federal Council.
Federal Council adopts report on neutrality
At its meeting on Oct. 26, 2022, the Federal Council adopted the Neutrality Report, determining that current neutrality practice provides…
Zero-emission climate policy to grow the Swiss economy
Switzerland can make its energy supply climate-neutral by 2050 and at the same time ensure its security, as shown by a study that also…
Can electric vehicles deliver a just energy transition?
The growing EV sector promises to end our reliance on oil, but its benefits may not be evenly distributed worldwide.
Austrian neutrality after the invasion of Ukraine
While the invasion of Ukraine led to a wave of support for NATO membership in several countries, Austrians still believe their country…
Mikhail Gorbachev and a part of history goes away
Mikhail Gorbachev died in Moscow on August 30, 2022: With his policies, he put an end to the Cold War and was a major protagonist of…
The wind energy potential in Switzerland is much higher than previously estimated
In Switzerland, 29.5 terawatt hours (TWh) per year could be generated from wind energy, of which 19 TWh in the winter half of the year…
Withholding tax reform
In order to keep Switzerland as a business location attractive and competitive, the Federal Council explained why it is necessary to amend…
Will Norway turn the energy crisis into opportunity?
Norway has the potential to play a bigger role in Europe’s gas market if the government can balance economic interests with its climate…