Clare O'Dea

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Articles

OPINION: Switzerland has changed in 20 years but it can still improve

May 18, 2024 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

In the 20 years that I’ve been writing about Switzerland, I’ve tended to focus on one part of the picture at a time. Standing back from the canvas, I can see that there has been a pretty positive evolution in the country over that time. The change has happened in measurable ways – an extra 1.6 million inhabitants, for one thing – but also in ways that are difficult to define. What I notice is more tolerance, more questioning of the norm, and more focus on fairness.
OPINION: Switzerland faces two pension votes but neither offers a solution

Feb 27, 2024 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

Switzerland's two public votes on Sunday March 3rd offer Swiss voters two different versions of reality – the elderly as vulnerable versus the elderly as strong. Clare O’Dea asks whether pensioners need protection or a push. The first popular initiative, launched by trade unions, is called ‘To live better in retirement’. This noble aspiration comes with an annual price tag of four billion francs.
OPINION: Switzerland faces two pension votes but neither offers a solution

Feb 27, 2024 | thelocal.com | Clare O'Dea

Switzerland's two public votes on Sunday March 3rd offer Swiss voters two different versions of reality – the elderly as vulnerable versus the elderly as strong. Clare O’Dea asks whether pensioners need protection or a push. The first popular initiative, launched by trade unions, is called ‘To live better in retirement’. This noble aspiration comes with an annual price tag of four billion francs.
How Switzerland's old boys' network preserves privilege in ways you won't see

Feb 26, 2024 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

If you don’t stay long in Switzerland, you may experience the country as a well-functioning meritocracy, but there is an ecosystem of organisations with deep historical roots that preserves privilege in invisible ways, Clare O’Dea writes. The Swiss old boys’ network includes the guilds, the city Bourgeoise institutions – which own swathes of land and properties – male students’ clubs and various political, religious and military groupings. Their influence is discreet and all about connections.
How Switzerland's English-language bookshops have become a community haven

Jan 29, 2024 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

Poetry clubs, writing groups, quiz nights, tea and scones – English-language bookshops in Switzerland offer customers a lot more than just reading tips. They have become a haven for people seeking community, Clare O’Dea writes. Since the huge shift to online bookselling and e-books, it seems like a miracle that bricks-and-mortar bookshops have survived at all.
Job hunting tips: What are employers in Switzerland really looking for?

Jan 15, 2024 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

In total, there were just over 250,000 job vacancies in Switzerland at the end of last year. Against a backdrop of 2 percent unemployment on average in 2023, this looks like a good position for job seekers to be in, but the challenge is matching up the available jobs with the available workers.
Seven tips for how to learn one of Switzerland's national languages

Dec 22, 2023 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

It’s almost time to make New Year’s resolutions, and what better goal than to build bridges with the Swiss by learning a national language. Whether you’re a beginner or languishing at the half-way stage, Clare O’Dea has some tips on how to get the job done. Switzerland is not an easy place to learn the local languages, especially if your workplace language is English. Language learning is hard and necessity is the key ingredient.
How you can save money on healthcare in Switzerland

Dec 18, 2023 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

Between insurance premiums and over-priced drugs and other costs, healthcare in Switzerland comes at a steep price. Clare O'Dea looks at why the costs are so steep and some of the ways you can save money. On the surface, the Swiss healthcare provision model looks egalitarian. All residents are obliged by law to purchase the same basic package of insurance, and the premiums are subsidised for those on low incomes. So why is cost such a bone of contention?
OPINION: Why so many Swiss are quitting the church and taking their money with them

Nov 9, 2023 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

It's not only the glaciers in Switzerland that are shrinking, the main churches are also shedding members every year, gradually changing the religious profile of the country. Clare O’Dea, a recent church leaver, asks what this means for society. Along with the usual reasons for abandoning religion – loss of faith, rejection of the teachings, or a dislike of the institution – Swiss residents also have a financial incentive to take this step.
OPINION: Has anything improved for women in Switzerland in recent years?

Jun 12, 2023 | thelocal.ch | Clare O'Dea

The 2019 women’s strike in Switzerland was hailed by organisers as the largest political action since the 1918 General Strike. As women in the country prepare to march again, Clare O’Dea asks what has been achieved since then? June 14th, 2019 was a heady day for feminists in Switzerland, with a massive public show of support for the perennial aims of economic and social equality.