News
President Parmelin to attend summit on artificial intelligence in India
President Guy Parmelin will represent Switzerland at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next week. The summit serves as a forum for discussions on the implementation and use of AI. During his visit to the event on Thursday, 19 February, Mr Parmelin will meet with heads of state and government and hold bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Switzerland-Italy: permanent tax rules for home office are in force
The amending protocol that regulates the taxation of home office for frontier workers for the long term entered into force on 9 February 2026 following the completion of the approval process in Switzerland and Italy.
Revised CPI standard basket, new property stats and advances in digitalisation
The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has updated its price statistics. Since the beginning of 2026, the updated structures better reflect current market trends, building on the previous revision carried out in 2020. By the end of 2026, the statistics will include new data on changes in property ownership. A property price index for multi-family houses will be published at the end of 2027.
Consumer prices fell by 0.1% in January
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell by 0.1% in January 2026 compared with the previous month to 99.9 points (December 2025 = 100). Inflation was +0.1% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
2026 Winter Olympics: Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis holds talks in Milan
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the head of the FDFA, was in Milan on 11 and 12 February 2026 for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. He met with the president of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, and Milan's mayor, Giuseppe Sala. Talks focused on bilateral relations, particularly with the Lombardy region, the tragedy in Crans-Montana, cross-border cooperation and the potential of the 2026 Winter Olympics to bring benefits to the region.
PSI Founder Fellowship for AI platform and solid-state batteries
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is awarding PSI Founder Fellowships to Mohsen Sadr and Mohammadhossein Montazerian. The fellowships will support two business ideas based on PSI technologies: an AI-based platform for the development of fusion energy and aerospace technologies, and a novel technology for thin-film solid-state batteries for compact energy storage.
Federal Councillors Martin Pfister, Ignazio Cassis and Beat Jans to attend the Munich Security Conference
Federal Councillors Martin Pfister, Ignazio Cassis and Beat Jans will attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC 26) from 13 to 15 February. In a rapidly changing security environment, this conference offers an opportunity for high-level discussions on how to strengthen Europe's security. It also provides a platform for promoting values such as peace and the rule of law.
From lab to market: Signed by fungi
Local and yet exclusive, natural and yet high-tech: Spalted wood combines contradictions. This very special wood is characterized by patterns of fine black lines, which it owes to a fungus. What used to be a rare chance find in the forest is now a standardized manufacturing process – thanks to the collaboration between Koster AG Holzwelten and Empa.
2026 Winter Olympics: Federal Councillor Cassis travels to Milan
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), will travel to Milan on 11 and 12 February 2026 on the occasion of the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. There, he will hold talks with regional and city authorities.
Ukraine: Federal Council approves aid package for the supply of urgently needed energy goods
Ukraine is currently facing its worst energy crisis since the start of the war. Swiss companies will be delivering high-performance generators and electricity modules to Ukraine in the coming weeks to provide support in this difficult situation. Following a request from the Ukrainian government, on 11 February 2026 the Federal Council approved aid up to a cost ceiling of CHF 32 million.
Issue result for Confederation bonds
The Swiss Confederation issued two bonds by auction on 11.02.2026: 0.50%, maturity 27.06.2032 (reopening) and 0.50%, maturity 28.05.2040 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 372.140 million francs
Early warning of threats: Federal Council wants to strengthen exchange of air situation data with partners
The Federal Council wants to further enhance protection against airborne threats. At its meeting on 11 February, it decided to enter into negotiations to extend or conclude new international agreements on the exchange of air situation data. This will enable Switzerland to receive timely warnings of potential threats – even before they reach its own airspace – and so gain valuable advance warning time for the population and the Armed Forces.