In March 2024, a majority of Swiss voters backed the “Better Living in Retirement” initiative. The vote aimed to boost Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI) pensions, the mandatory basic state pension forming the first pillar of Switzerland’s three-pillar system (second pillar: occupational pensions; third pillar: private pensions). The initiative led to the adoption of a 13th monthly payment for more than 2.6 million pensioners and beneficiaries, starting in December 2026.
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.