US president criticises Switzerland yet again, and Swiss police warn of disastrous effects of the anti-immigration proposal — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Not an ‘elite’ country: US president criticises Switzerland
In the April 2026 interview with CNBC broadcaster about the trade tariffs, Donald Trump accused Switzerland of profiting from the United States while contributing little in return.
Specifically, he said that Switzerland “is one of those countries long considered ‘elite’ – “not because of their own performance, but because they made billions upon billions of dollars thanks to the United States.”
READ MORE: US president Trump says he has another problem with ‘entitled’ Switzerland
Swiss police warn of ‘disastrous effects’ of the anti-immigration proposal
The Police Officers’ Association has warned that cooperation between the country’s law enforcement agencies and the EU would be jeopardised if the bid to limit immigration is approved at the ballot box.
Adoption of the initiative would jeopardise Switzerland’s existing bilateral agreements with the European Union, thereby having direct repercussions for security within Switzerland, the association said.
Among them, the loss of access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) – Europe’s largest database for security and border management – “would tangibly undermine police operations” in Switzerland.
READ MORE: Why Swiss police are against hard-right’s anti-immigration proposal
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A US company offers extra-high salaries to Swiss AI experts
Anthropic, an Artificial Intelligence safety and research company based in California, is seeking research scientists and engineers in Zurich – positions that come with an enviable (even by Swiss standards) annual salary ranging from 280,000 to 680,000 francs.
However, this level of pay requires highly qualified specialists.
They can be easily found in Switzerland, which has the highest AI expert density in the world.
READ MORE: American firm offers huge wages to recruit Zurich-based AI specialists
Can third-country nationals obtain a long-term work permit?
Usually, people from outside the Euroean Union and EFTA states are entitled only to short-term permit L or B – which one they will get will depend on their status in Switzerland.
However, under certain circumstances, they could be eligible for permits that don’t require annual renewal.
For instance, rules may be relaxed for highly quallified professionals whose expertise is essential to Switzerland’s economy.
READ MORE: Can a non-EU national secure a long-term work permit in Switzerland?
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Is standard German sufficient for a foreign resident in Switzerland?
This is a familiar conundrum to countless foreigners – including those from Germany – who found that while being able to communicate in standard German meets the official legal requirement for permits and naturalisation, it doesn’t earn them any merit points with the locals.
Those living in the Swiss-German regions are facing two challenges: first, the required proficiency in standard German, so they can read and write (since Schwiizerdütsch is not a written language), and second – optional but advisable – mastering at least some local dialect and expressions.
READ MORE: Why speaking standard German could be a problem in Switzerland
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Swiss mortgages skyrocket due to the Iran war
The conflict in the Middle East is impacting mortgage rates in Switzerland
This is what emerges from a new analysis carried out by Comparis consumer platform, which links this hike to war-driven tensions in the financial markets.
It found that the primary drivers behind higher rates are rising geopolitical risks, which are fuelling inflation expectations and leading to higher capital market interest rates.
READ MORE: How war in Middle East is causing Swiss mortgage rates to soar
