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Book review: Montreux Riviera Switzerland by Farrol Kahn

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Books in English about the Lake Geneva region are rare and good books are even rarer. In his third book about Switzerland, Farrol Kahn, a British journalist who has lived in the region for several years has succeeded in describing in a refreshingly eclectic style, the Montreux Riviera (a region he denotes as starting in Lutry and stretching to the Valais end of the lake).

Book Review Montreux Riveiera

No mere guide book, he amply recounts the region’s history, charmingly portrays its personalities and accurately describes both its geography and economy. Written in a forthright, clean style, this book occasionally reads a little like a tourist office promotional, but he should be forgiven this as it is full of quirky details and anecdotes that any resident or visitor will find fascinating.

It is nigh impossible to avoid clichés when producing a book focusing on a single locality. But Kahn has identified this pitfall and while not entirely avoiding it, he offers us such a plethora of fresh stories, practical information and insight that you will not be bored. The book is generously and unpretentiously illustrated in a style ostensibly free of over-cooked Photo-shopping.

This is great book to have at home if you appreciate getting out and about the region, or if you enjoy entertaining visitors and are looking for inspiration.

Published by Valais Books. Available from Payot and Amazon.

By Jeremy McTeague

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Switzerland’s national broadcaster to stop religious programming

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Radio Television Swiss (RTS), the French language arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, plans to discontinue three religious programmes by 2017. According to a spokesman the decision was taken for cost-cutting reasons. A group of cross-party politicians, academics and civic leaders has protested that the decision was taken without consultation or debate and has demanded a reverse. The group also established an online petition that had gained over 4,000 signatures by Thursday evening.

RTS Switzerland

RTS’s Geneva headquarters – © Hai Huy Ton That | Dreamstime.com

Ian McDonald, Minister of the English-speaking Scots Kirk in Lausanne said “The RTS decision to discontinue religious broadcasting closes a door on the provision of reasonable and responsible balanced news coverage and analysis of world events, whether expressed in religious terms or otherwise. We are better served by having the freedom to speak and to share what will always be a spectrum of opinion.”

Over the centuries Swiss communities have fought numerous religious wars both within and outside the country. Successfully ending and avoiding religious conflicts is one of the essential pillars of “Swissness”. Religious rights and the promotion of religious beliefs have historically been intensely debated and controlled in Switzerland to the point that inter-faith tensions have virtually disappeared. Controls have taken the form of restrictions on publicly promoting any single faith over another be it in advertising, publishing, broadcasting or even physically (pastors and priests are usually not permitted to wear religious garments in public). Nevertheless, the freedom to practice faith has been a strongly protected universal right.

“It’s an incomprehensible decision,” Abbé Francois-Xavier Amherdt, Professor of Theology at Fribourg University told the newspaper Le Temps.

RTS responded saying “Announcements of our cost cutting regarding religious programmes have triggered much concern. We understand these concerns and would like to state that we do not intend to abandon this content. Dealing with religious questions to nurture societal debate, aid understanding of current challenges and to promote social cohesion, is an important element of our public service mission. Religious programmes are regrettably not the only broadcasts to be affected by these measures. Half of the budget dedicated to them will be retained. In addition, religious questions and their political, cultural and social dimensions as well as ethical and philosophical themes will continue to be discussed in different programmes on the radio, television and on the web.”

RTS is the French-speaking arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC/SRG/SSR – English/German/French). RTS has its headquarters in Geneva, while the parent, SBC, is based in Bern. The group receives most of its funding from annual licence fees, collected by Billag, with the remainder coming from advertising and sponsorship. According RTS’s website, it employs close to 1,600 people, has an annual budget of CHF 393 million, and provides programmes for Switzerland’s 1.9 million French-speaking residents.

By Jeremy McTeague
Jeremy McTeague is a communications specialist, and a speaker and writer on conflict resolution.

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Summer guide to delicious hot smoke barbequing in Switzerland

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Hot smoking is the rage in Canada and the US and its popularity is spreading like wildfire throughout Europe. Hot smoking adds wonderful flavour to even the blandest food and transforms fish such as salmon into a delightful and impressive summer barbeque dish.

Tempt your family and friends with well-tried and tested hot smoking ideas include salmon, trout, medium-sized prawns or shrimp, pork sausages (especially chipolatas) and even breast of chicken or Guinea fowl. And then there is cheese smoked over maple – but that’s a sublime treat for the next article.

You must have a BBQ with a cover. It can be traditional wood/charcoal, gas or even electric.

Salmon BBQ on cedar

Salmon BBQ on cedar

Whatever it is you want to smoke, the basic method is the same. First buy your plank. Red cedar from North America is best. In Switzerland you can buy them for an eye-watering CHF 20 for a pack of two from garden centres, home improvement stores and some supermarkets in the region. Or buy them online from Ricardo.ch for half that.

Weigh down and soak a plank in cold water for 60 minutes. Season your fish filet (keep the skin on), meat or vegetables with salt and black pepper as desired. Do not marinate your food in oil as this is likely to burn and diminish the smoked flavour. So use white wine, soy sauce or lemon juice instead. Other delicious marinate ingredients are honey and mustard.

Place the plank in your pre-warmed BBQ (if you are using a charcoal BBQ then make sure the coals are well burned down and flameless). Close the lid and then after 5 minutes place the food (fish should be placed skin side down) on the plank. Cook at a low-medium heat (200oC). Cooking times vary depending on food and recipe so use your judgement, however as a guide, a 500g salmon filet takes about 8 -10 minutes. Don’t worry if you do cook it a little too long – it won’t be ruined – that’s the beauty of hot smoking. Regularly check that the plank has not burst into flames but is merely happily smouldering and smoking. Have a water sprayer at the ready to extinguish any flames.

BBQ hot smoked salmon

Hot smoke barbequed salmon

Garnish with lemon and fresh herbs such as dill for salmon, rosemary for lamb and oregano for beef. Serve on the plank for maximum BBQ Maestro effect!

After the feast you can use any leftovers to create a range of succulent dishes. Hot-smoked fish should be used with 24 hours. One simple and tasty dish is to crumble left-over fish into boiled pasta together with a handful of petits pois, some finely chopped dill and a few spoons of crème fraîche.

The board itself can sometimes be reused. Just wash with hot soapy water and use the reverse side. Old boards can be burned in charcoal barbecues (for additional flavour) or composted.

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Calls for tax breaks for Swiss investors

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Start up businesses in Switzerland are being stifled by a lack of investment at the critical early funding stages. This message came across loud and clear at the Innovation Forum conference on Science and Technology this week at EPFL.

Entrepreneurs who start new ventures often fund them with money from friends and family. But as their business begins to grow they require more funding. Typically this comes from angel investors – people who know something of the business sector and who are looking for high returns within five years. Finding business angels however is rarely easy. They are few and far between and available funding is soon sucked up by a thirsty market that is particularly under supplied in Switzerland. According to Jane Royston, a member of the Federal Commission for Innovation (CTI), and a former Business woman of the year, Switzerland is rated number one in the world for innovation. If this is the case, then it is quite probable that proportionally more start-up companies in this country are looking for funding than elsewhere. The gap is big and the pressure is high on entrepreneurs whose time would be better spent developing the venture rather than endlessly seeking funds.

Swiss start up investment

Swiss tax incentives could encourage more to take the plunge and invest in Swiss innovation

Most entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector (and possibly in general) are foreign and this may have a dampening effect peculiar to Switzerland. Foreign entrepreneurs are likely to have weaker networks and fewer assets in Switzerland than their counterparts operating in other countries.

The panel of experts at the Innovation Forum were in general agreement that while the Swiss government (and indeed any government) should not set investment policy or actively fund start-ups (since the market is more efficient than any government can hope to be), some form of tangible encouragement of innovation is necessary.

Antonio Gambardella, Director of Fongi (a Swss start-up incubator), told the conference that when the British government identified the funding problem facing start-ups, it introduced tax breaks for investors. This idea has great merit and given the tax system in Switzerland this idea could be easily implemented here. Let’s face it. You invest money in a risky venture in Switzerland that if successful is going to return a huge benefit to the country, yet if it fails, you lose money that the government has already taxed you for. It’s a win-win for the government and a win-lose for the investor and not a good formula for encouraging investment.

Tax breaks favouring risky start up investment in the UK helped

Tax breaks favouring risky start up investment in the UK helped

The Innovation Forum has once again organised a cutting-edge event. Highly relevant to anyone interested in innovation on any level, the take-aways were clear. For Switzerland to maintain pre-eminence in hi-tech innovation, the country needs to enhance returns for investors in start-ups. As importantly, the country’s politicians need to encourage high calibre foreign entrepreneurial students to stay in Switzerland by introducing measures – such as one suggested by Jane Royston – granting automatic work permits to newly qualified PhDs at Swiss universities. And lastly, on a political level, efforts need to be made to negate the potentially negative effects on innovation that will result from the UDC’s 2014 anti-immigration initiative. This initiative is widely considered highly counter-productive and could diminish Switzerland’s innovation capability by chasing away the majority of talent that is currently responsible for much of Switzerland’s innovation.

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UK election analysis: possible downside for Switzerland

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That the Conservative party has won a majority in the UK’s elections is just one of several surprises from a contest that confounded pundits and party strategists alike. So what does the Conservative’s slim majority mean for Switzerland? The key points to haul on board are:

The inglorious defeat suffered by the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative’s erstwhile coalition partner, means that the party’s moderating counterbalance to the Conservative’s powerful Eurosceptic faction has evaporated into the ether of political anonymity.

© Palinchak | Dreamstime.com

David Cameron – © Palinchak | Dreamstime.com

It is pretty much a certainty that there will shortly be a UK referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. If the UK were to leave, a weakened EU would be more likely to maintain its demands on Switzerland to adhere to the terms of the various bi-lateral treaties – notably freedom of movement. This will aggravate the sense of uncertainty that exists within international businesses operating and investing here in Switzerland.

The virtual clean sweep by the Scottish National Party (SNP), while not wholly unexpected is still impressive for its magnitude. But it changes little for Cameron. Firstly, there is unlikely to be another bid for independence by the Scots within the next couple of parliaments. Statements by the party’s leadership made after the Scottish independence referendum last September undertaking not to seek another referendum in the foreseeable future were probably a major reason for the party’s massive electoral success yesterday. In short, Left-leaning Scottish voters could vote for a Left-wing agenda, comfortable in the knowledge that their vote would not result in independence, but instead in more latitude for social self-determination (and spending). SNP parliamentarians will not vote on English issues at Westminster, however, they will vote and campaign against a UK withdrawal from the EU. But this will not change the electoral arithmetic since most SNP seats were grabbed from Labour, a party also stridently opposed to EU withdrawal.

© Scottcampbnnd | Dreamstime.com

Nicola Sturgeon – © Scottcampbnnd | Dreamstime.com

The impact of the SNP’s win will be limited to the Scots twisting the Conservative’s arms for increased social services budget as the price for supporting (or abstaining) from votes where the Conservative’s slim majority is under threat. Accounting for roughly 10 percent of the UK’s spending, this may have a small inflationary effect and frustrate the Conservative budget deficit reduction efforts.

The somewhat surprising failure of the radical nationalist United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) to secure more than one seat questions the UK’s appetite for anti-immigration policies stronger than those promised by the Conservative’s in their manifesto. Furthermore the result relieves pressure on Cameron to enact more radical measures and may also give him breathing space to moderate the Conservative’s EU referendum proposals.

The Conservatives will continue with their austerity measures and (with the exception of its anti-EU stance) with their pro-business policies. This will encourage investment and financial services companies to remain in London – defusing proposed moves by some to Switzerland and elsewhere.

Clearly these results mean wholesale changes in the leadership of all parties. While Cameron has kept George Osborne on to continue managing the economy as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he is under pressure to radically reshuffle his cabinet. Labour will have a total leadership change. Leader, Ed Miliband resigned this afternoon. The Liberal Democrats, now a tiny party having lost 48 seats, has lost most of its leaders including its leader, Nick Clegg. The only other major party to keep its current leaders is the SNP – and Nicola Sturgeon has only been in power for a few months.

Only once the main parties have selected their new front bench teams will commentators be able to determine the details of future policies and the likelihood of their successful enactment.

Jeremy McTeague

Jeremy McTeague is a communications consultant, writer and former lobbyist at Westminster

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This vegetable keeps ice off your windscreen

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Frozen windscreenFrozen windscreen? Just how cool are all these winter coping tips?

If you’re tired of having to scrape your icy windscreen each morning before setting off, then according to Swiss motoring association, TCS, just cut a potato in half and rub it over your windscreen. Then in your morning rush to get going you won’t have to go through the whole ice-scraping rigmarole. And, there’s an environmental bonus too – no need spray harmful chemicals about.

Great. But it takes time to prepare the potatoes you’ll need and it takes an age to actually smear the starch over the car windows – you have to re-slice the potato every 10 seconds and you’ll probably end up getting messy juice all over your coat when you do it. And what about driving around with potato residue dribbled over your otherwise gleaming paintwork?

sliced potatoAnd it’s probably no cheaper by the time you’ve bought a kilo of spuds for a week of happy pre-emptive de-icing. Of course it will also be just your luck to persevere with this eco-solution only to discover the next morning that it did not freeze overnight.

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TedX Lausanne – interfacing and interacting

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TedX Lausanne

Courtesy of Ted X Lausanne

Ted X (the X in this instance stands for Lausanne) is alive and very much provoking. The 2015 event held this week on the UNIL campus in Lausanne offered over 200 attendees a remarkably diverse selection of presentations in English. But this is to mislead – because it’s often not just the presenters who are important it’s their ideas as much as anything.

A dozen presenters shared their take on how to make things better for humanity. From the creepy to the heart-warming, participants were left musing ideas ranging from how to read super-fast to enhancing one’s charisma. The arts also hold an equally important place at TedX as science, the humanities and business. The mix risks being confusing and an unfocused mess, but the opposite was the case.

Ted delivered more than I had expected. My jaded views and my blasé intention to bail out after the break were firmly dispelled by the interactivity and stimulation that permeated the event. And the people! A bright, educated, enthusiastic, entrepreneurial, different and refreshingly authentic bunch all looking sincerely for change for the better. Ted is not a place where slick, super-smiling marketing geezers will smoothly convince you to lighten your wallet in return for their latest consumer “must have”.

Dan Acher TedX Lausanne

Dan Acher at Ted X Lausanne

The presentations most notable for being thought-provoking, enjoyable and embodying the Interface/Interact theme were all very different. There was Dan Acher an “artivist” from Geneva whose work focuses on creating happy cities by changing the way people engage both with their environment and with each other. You may have seen (and heard) his work around Geneva. His eclectic projects include pianos that anyone can play dotted around the city; and Neighbourhood Exchange Boxes also installed around town which spark countless personal encounters. In short Dan proposes a simple set of genius solutions to coax us away from modern self-centred, me-fixated behaviour.

John Antonakis. Courtesy of Ted X Lausanne

Then there was the thoroughly absorbing (and frankly worrying) John Antonakis, a lecturer at UNIL, whose research has found that looks can determine a leader’s success. He believes that Charisma allows leaders to overcome the simplistic and connect more effectively with audiences via words and actions. He explained what charisma is, how it can be measured, why it matters, and how to deliver it – even through that most frugal of media – Twitter.

Courtesy of Ted X Lausanne

Théoriz. Courtesy of Ted X Lausanne

And offering a very different tone and pace was Théoriz, an art and technology studio founded by Jonathan Richter and David-Alexandre Chanel. It created an electrifying adaptation of its Noisy Skeleton piece especially for TEDX Lausanne which did what it said on the tin – “immerses the audience in a reality where images and sounds echo human motions in real time”.

According to Gabrielle Marie, a member of the Lausanne Bounces Association that licensed the event this year, selection of the presentations is key. Ideas can be submitted via the website and the selection is rigorously conducted by a panel. There are a few clear and unbreakable rules designed to ensure true creativity and relevance. Ted relies on high calibre volunteers to promote and run its events and anyone interested in being associated with this top quality organisation should get in touch.

The organisation is looking to organise a few smaller events during the year so look out for them.

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This winter’s biggest make-up trends

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This winter’s biggest make-up trends

As the seasons change, so do our wardrobe and make-up choices. This winter it is all about mesmerizing metallics, jaw-dropping jewel tones, luscious lips, bold brows and radiant skin. Let’s have a look at this winter’s biggest make-up trends.

Metallics (Rodarte)Mesmerizing metallics

Metallic eye make-up has been a fashion week winter favourite for years, so it is no surprise that we are seeing a lot of gorgeous golds, silvers, bronzes and coppers again this season. Add a touch of chrome to your look by applying some metallic eyeliner against your lash line or go all the way and opt for an edgy metallic eye look. You might even feel inspired to rock metallic lips this year, like the sparkly bronze chrome lips that we saw in the 2014-15 Rodarte autumn and winter runway show.

Jewel tones (Karlie Kloss for Anna Sui)Jaw-dropping jewel tones

Another make-up trend that makes a comeback every winter are jewel tones. Deep amethyst, rich sapphire, warm amber, mysterious emerald, the possibilities are endless. Whether you are rocking jewel-toned nail polish, just a pop of colour on the eyes or a full-on jewel-toned smokey look, everything goes this winter. Be inspired by the azure-rimmed eyes that model Karlie Kloss wore for the Anna Sui 2014-15 autumn and winter look or the graphic cerulean eye look that was featured in Dior’s 2014-15  autumn and winter show.

Dark lips (Dolce & Gabbana)Luscious lips

In winter, not only the days but also our lips get darker. This season, go for seductive reds, deep wine shades, rich burgundies and sexy oxblood hues. Pat McGrath, the make-up artist behind the Dolce & Gabbana 2014/2015 winter make-up look, says: “We want lips to look very rich this winter. Crayon on a ruby lip pencil all over your lips and dab on a burgundy red lipstick with your fingers to create a beautiful burgundy stain.”

Bold brows (Cara Delevingne for Burberry)Bold brows

Bold brows have been a hit ever since Cara Delevingne entered the modelling scene in 2010 sporting her signature statement eyebrows. Do as Cara and embrace your natural eyebrows for a strong no-nonsense look. Or add some power to your look by creating the illusion of big bold brows with the help of an eyebrow pencil and some eyebrow powder. Whatever you do this winter, let your eyebrows do the talking and don’t overtweeze.

Radiant skin (Givenchy)Radiant skin

Another returning trend for winter is radiant skin. This season it is all about flawless skin with a healthy natural-looking glow. Highlighters are a great way to add radiance and luminosity to your face. Copy the Givenchy 2014/2015 winter make-up look and make your skin glow by sweeping some powder highlighter over your cheek bones. Or dab some cream highlighter on your eyebrow bone and cupid’s bow for an ethereal effect.

Mix and match these top five make-up trends and you are guaranteed to get it right this winter. Have fun!

Melissa Van Roosbroeck 150x150 72dpiMelissa Van Roosbroeck is a style and fashion writer and owner of Kiss & Make-up. Read more on her blog: Kiss & Make-up

 

Switzerland continues nuclear power cutback

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Mühleberg nuclear power station is the oldest in the world

Mühleberg nuclear power station

World-wide, the use of nuclear energy, including new investment, is falling back. The Italians already made the decision in 1987 following the Chernobyl crisis to close nuclear power stations. In Germany, eight stations have been shut since 2011 leaving nine others to continue producing 16 percent of the country’s needs. Over the next decade, Berlin hopes to change over as much as possible to renewable sources, notably wind and solar energy, which currently constitute one quarter of needs. The European Union’s own goal over the next 15 years is to have 45 percent based on renewable energy sources.

While the United States, France, Russia, South Korea and China, which represent 70 percent of world production, are still focusing on nuclear power for a major part of their energy needs, Switzerland is taking further steps to phase it out. This is based on a 2011 federal government decision in the wake of the Fukushima incident. Four plants but five reactors are still on stream representing 36 percent of the country’s production. One these, Mühleberg, is scheduled for closure in 2019. A decision on Beznau in north-western Switzerland, which houses the world’s oldest commercial reactor, is expected to be taken soon.

Ripped off by illegal French tax? Claim a refund by end of 2014

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Tax surchargeIn the past year, Le News and specialist publications such as French-Property.com, have highlighted the problems facing Swiss-based (and other) non-residents of France. Taxation of rental income and unequal capital gains of non-residents are now the source of considerable legal controversy in France.

Earlier this month, the Avocat General of the European Commission gave an opinion that French social charges on the rental income and capital gains of non-residents did not conform to European law. And in a recent legal ruling in the highest administrative court in France, the Conseil d’État, the rate of capital gains tax of 33 percent imposed on residents from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) was also declared contrary to European law. The standard rate is 19 percent.

French tax formThis has opened the way for non-residents to claim refunds. According to French-Property.com, “we still await the decision of the European Court of Justice on this matter, but it is entirely likely that the opinion of the AG will be followed in their ruling. France is facing a wave of litigation on non-resident social charges and higher rate capital gains tax”. Good news perhaps for non-residents, but refund claims need to be submitted by 31 December 2014.

Tax claims are frequently challenged by the French authorities for the sums involved are huge, with social charges on the rental income of non-residents alone amounting to an estimated €134 million last year.

To obtain a refund it is necessary to claim it within two years. French-Property.com advises that if you were over-charged in 2012 you need to claim by the end of December 2014 and if overcharged in 2013 you should get your claim in as soon as possible as the two year deadline is not rock solid.

French-Property.com is organising a collective approach to making a claim. It already has several hundred claims being filed or in the process of being filed. Contact them for further information:

Le News and courtesy of French-Property.com

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