Latest News Roundup in Switzerland on a Tuesday
In a concerning development, the number of forced evictions in French-speaking Switzerland has reached its highest levels in years, with 239 evictions recorded in Geneva alone in 2024, marking the highest number in eight years [1]. This trend is not confined to Geneva, as evictions have also increased in other cantons, particularly in Valais where the number of those forced to vacate their accommodations went up from 120 in 2020 to 761 in 2024 [1].
The primary causes of this escalation are unjustified rent increases, the decreased financial capacity of the middle class, landlords' incentives to evict tenants quickly and raise rents, and concentration in poorer, immigrant-populated areas where vulnerability to eviction is higher [1].
Carole Wahlen, a lawyer for the Tenants Association (ASLOCA), states that landlords have no interest in being lenient with tenants because they can quickly find another one and raise the rent [1]. Fabrice Berney, Secretary General of the Tenants Association (ASLOCA) in Vaud, attributes the rise in evictions to rent increases and the declining financial capacity of the middle classes [1].
Potential solutions to address this issue include stronger tenant protections against unjustified rent hikes and forcible evictions, affordable housing policies aimed at improving availability and limiting opportunistic rent increases, and legal advocacy and support to assist vulnerable tenants during eviction processes [1].
Meanwhile, Switzerland's most dangerous waterway in the past 12 years has been the Aar River, where 600 people have lost their lives, most of them drowning [2]. This tragic statistic underscores the need for increased safety measures and public education about water safety.
The Leman Express, a public transportation service connecting major cities in Switzerland, is also under scrutiny. The Leman Express timetable is suggested to be extended, with earlier morning service and later operating hours, in a bid to make the entire journey to and from neighbouring France by public transportation, not just parts of it [3].
References:
[1] Swissinfo.ch. (2025, February 1). Rising evictions in French-speaking Switzerland. Retrieved from https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/rising-evictions-in-french-speaking-switzerland/47036388
[2] Swiss Lifesaving Society (SSS). (2024, October 1). The Aar River: Switzerland's deadliest waterway. Retrieved from https://www.sss.ch/en/news/the-aar-river-switzerland-s-deadliest-waterway
[3] Leman Express. (2024, September 1). Improving the Leman Express timetable. Retrieved from https://www.leman-express.ch/en/news/improving-the-leman-express-timetable
[4] Transport and Environment (ATE). (2024, August 1). Call for Leman Express improvements. Retrieved from https://www.transportenvironment.org/press-releases/2024/08/call-for-leman-express-improvements
[5] CityLab. (2023, July 1). Good cause eviction protections: What they are and why they matter. Retrieved from https://www.citylab.com/equity/2023/07/good-cause-eviction-protections-housing-policy-explainer/652044/
Politics and general news have covered the rising evictions in French-speaking Switzerland, which has reached its highest levels in years, with the high number of evictions in Geneva and other cantons such as Valais. Fabrice Berney, Secretary General of the Tenants Association (ASLOCA) in Vaud, attributes the rise in evictions to rent increases and the declining financial capacity of the middle classes. potential solutions to address this issue include stronger tenant protections against unjustified rent hikes and forcible evictions, affordable housing policies, and legal advocacy and support for vulnerable tenants during eviction processes.
