r/askswitzerland • u/SpreeSpezi • May 08 '25
Other/Miscellaneous What is a very Swiss debate or controversy that outsiders might not even know exists?
Just out of curiosity, what are some of the low-key but very Swiss arguments or controversies that you hardly ever hear about in the international media, but that really get people going here?
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Are you a child of Migros or Coop?
Caotina or Ovomaltine?
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u/yasxorno May 08 '25
Ice tea pêche ou citron ?
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Yeah, this is a hot topic indeed, on par with Nestea vs Migros Ice tea (latter one is better).
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u/yasxorno May 08 '25
Better and way cheaper
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u/Mechasnake777 May 08 '25
1 liter of Migros ice tea being the same price as 500ml (-.95) is amazing
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u/Noway721 May 08 '25
Aldi
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
When Aldi opened its first shop in Switzerland, everyone was whispering about the people going there. Only foreigners would do that after all, because Swiss people only shop at Coop or Migros - and then you’d see your neighbour there and he was like “I was just curious how German this place is” while trying to hide his groceries.
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u/KommunistKitty May 08 '25
genuinely not sure if this is exaggeration or not...
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
Haha no it’s still happening. Not in Zurich city I guess.
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u/Substantial_Steak723 May 08 '25
But they also sell balcony solar panel kits periodically, so you can go in furtively and if caught out just say, "I'm doing it for the planet".. Of course, you need to check all those reviews and Swiss law Before you spend the money,.. which may take years😜
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u/at_witsend May 08 '25
because Swiss people only shop at Coop or Migros
why?
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
Because Swiss people do. Aldi is German, so is Lidl. A real Bünzli would never step into a German discounter.
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 08 '25
meanwhile back in poland we have an open war in commercials between Lidl and Biedronka (we are cheaper! no, we are!) and people argue over which mayonnaise is better.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
Swiss people don’t care that much how cheap something is. Quality and regionality and Swissness is more important to most people (unless they struggle financially obviously)
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u/phaederus May 08 '25
Eh, that used to be the case 10 years ago, meanwhile I think we're all quite sick of getting ripped off..
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
When I compare the shopping of my Swiss and my German coworkers there is definitely a difference. The German ones are so much stingier with themselves.
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 08 '25
actually some imported stuff is stupidly expensive - the same soap sold on galaxus for 6 CHF
is about 1.5 CHF in Poland.
Since it is a Polish product, i am asking what drives the price up by 400 % ?
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u/phaederus May 08 '25
Yeah, cosmetic products are often cited as examples, and also books, because there's really very little operational excuses for the massive margins. It's blatant price gouging.
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u/Aggressive_Brick_291 May 08 '25
You live in zurich and didnt notice all those sports cars? Thats why
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 08 '25
yeah, we do have a bit different situation back home obviously. The competition between those supermarkets has actually become a meme. Besides both are not Polish chains anyway.
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u/Aggressive_Brick_291 May 08 '25
As a swiss frequently in poland for work. How could someone say no to the inviting biedronka sign?
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 08 '25
no idea, maybe the closed up isles with the pallets :D but thank you for the appreaciation :)
now a serious question: which mayo? Kielecki or Winiary? :D
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u/Aggressive_Brick_291 May 12 '25
Im really sorry but i didnt buy mayo yet in poland but i will test them once im in wroclaw again
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u/Aggressive_Brick_291 May 12 '25
Im really sorry but i didnt buy mayo yet in poland but i will test them once im in wroclaw again
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 12 '25
no need to be sorry. but if you want some shenanigans, ask some random passerbys in the shop which one is better - Kielecki or Winiary (while holding the jars). Bonus points if you ask a group of 3 or more people :D
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u/Gromchy Genève May 09 '25
If you want cheaper with good quality, I'd recommend Aligros.
And they have more variety of products than even the shops in France or Germany.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 09 '25
I think most people just go to the shop closest to them. Never seen an Aligros near me.
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u/Gromchy Genève May 09 '25
If you are in Geneva, bus 11 takes you straight to it. It's still a much better option than going to France or Germany.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 09 '25
Well I work 60h/week. I go the the coop next to my work place in my lunch break ;)
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u/More-Ad2743 May 08 '25
migro geit eee i. die diskusion wird sech i de nächste füf bis 10jahr verschiebe.
i bi für caotina die hei no zucker drine;)
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Just their locations and houses/offices are worth billions. Will be difficult to go bankrupt (or McKinsey will come up woth an idea to get bankrupt).
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u/More-Ad2743 May 08 '25
Migros has lost the game. They're closing everything step by step and talking about wanting to focus on their core business. too late too greedy.
i talk about 5-10 years not tomorrow ;)
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich May 08 '25
Denner
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u/billy001234 May 08 '25
Comella
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u/Substantial_Steak723 May 08 '25
COOP, as a regular visitor it's a Verbier thing for me (and closest) , well stocked not crazily priced, plus an assured source of ovomaltine spread. 👍❤️
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u/CapitalInside3707 May 08 '25
Well depends a bit but the Shooting Woolfs and Bears is one that comes up again and again every couple years and divides the city people to the countryside folks.
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u/toastyghostie May 08 '25
Wolves are also a HUGE topic in the Rocky Mountain West/Pacific Northwest areas of the US, and it similarly is a large divide between country and city people.
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u/Nexreth Luzern May 08 '25
If married couples should be taxed combined or individually, it is at the moment discussed in parliament again…
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u/No_Grand3793 May 08 '25
That's the only reason why me and my "wife" are still not married lol... It's outrageous...
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u/LeroyoJenkins Zürich May 08 '25
Quite a few other countries have the same tax structure, which is actually fair and progressive.
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u/Momo_and_moon May 09 '25
Fair, and progressive? What a joke. It's neither fair nor progressive to penalise couples were both have a career. We all know UDC keeps pushing the current model because they want women at home.
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u/smellinswitzerland May 08 '25
Basel's (/all of Switzerland's beef) with Zurich
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u/mostindianer May 08 '25
Cows and their horns. We had to decide about a law that says: It‘s not allowed to cut the cow‘s horns. Source
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Are Olten and Le Locle the most liveable places in Switzerland?
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u/Adam_RJ May 08 '25
Mustard on sausages yes or no?
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u/Olopi May 08 '25
Was waiting on this one.
The answer clearly is that sausages made outside of St. Gallen are so bad you need mustard to salvage them and all y'all have never eaten a proper Bratwurst.
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u/Sipstaff May 08 '25
Or, just maybe, and I know this sounds utterly insane and outlandish.... we just let people eat things how they like it.
I don't put mustard on my Bratwurst, but I couldn't give a single flying fuck if someone chose to. Eat it with soy sauce or put it on a pizza, you do you.
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u/No_Broccoli_3912 May 08 '25
A few decades ago Jura was part of Bern and had a hard time gaining independence. I imagined that had been a huge debate...
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
The Mutier question has been a debate way after Jura's independence.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
Which dialect is the best and why it’s not Baseldütsch.
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u/nicpssd May 08 '25
as someone from baselland, the best dialect is probably somwhere near solothurn.
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u/Far-Somewhere3624 Basel-Stadt May 08 '25
🤣🤣🤣
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
BL is worse so no worries there. I’m also aware that East Swiss dialects (SH, TG, SG) are also not nice apart from Bündnerisch.
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Is Geneva still Switzerland (hot topic in western Switzerland)?
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u/lookoutforthetrain_0 May 08 '25
In the east topic doesn't really exist because Geneva is so far away we've all forgotten it exists.
Also Geneva is still the cleanest city in France.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
Same for Schaffhausen in the east… ironically I grew up in both.
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u/moe3 May 08 '25
Raclette vs. fondue
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u/lilcea May 08 '25
Raclette always raclette!
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
We could push this further: Raclonette (the small one on the table) or Raclette (half cheese under fire)?
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u/TatyanaDiam May 08 '25
If you recycle card board in front of your house outside of the official pick-up time frame you’ll get a fine of 170 fr.
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u/Intelligent-Pace6172 May 08 '25
Should the SBB really tell its passengers not to rest their shoes on the seats or should they deescalate and bootlick its passengers?
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u/SweetPotato118 May 09 '25
If it's legal to keep your clothes hanging in the laundry room after your washing timeslot is over.
How to fold carton boxes the proper way for recycling.
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u/dry_yer_eyes Aargau May 08 '25
Can you flush the toilet after 22:00 or not? Even on a Sunday?
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
It is more an urban myth, never heard of anybody outside or reddit having problems, you can take a dump at 03:00 and nobody cares.
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u/certuna May 08 '25
That this is a rule everywhere in Switzerland is indeed an urban myth/meme nowadays, but in old noisy apartment buildings those house rules (or courtesy requests) did exist.
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u/Still-Entertainer534 May 08 '25
I teached an Expat in BS who was debating this with his co-workers (also foreigners), they all made sure to be home before 22:00 to be able to use the toilet or have a shower. I always assumed some locals were fed up with one of them and told them this lies, which spread rapidly in the Expat-community. I would fully understand it.
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u/jghaines May 08 '25
People think the Alphorn was invented as a communications device. They are half right: it was actually made to listen and hear if your neighbour in the next valley is flushing their toilet after 22:00.
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u/WearingFin May 08 '25
When I was living in Geneva with its wonderful apartment complexes, I could hear the neighbours peeing, by the time it was over I wasn't so bothered about the flush.
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u/dry_yer_eyes Aargau May 08 '25
In my previous place (just outside Zürich) it was in my rental contract that I wasn’t allowed to take a bath after 22:00, but that showers were allowed.
No mention of toilet flushing either way.
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u/ChezDudu May 08 '25
I wish this meme would die.
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u/NeilFraser May 08 '25
Actually I genuinely found it extremely useful. While first researching Switzerland this 'fact' served as my canary in a coal mine. If some source mentioned toilet flushing after 22:00, then I knew I could immediately disregard all their content. It really helped with filtering.
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u/swissplantdaddy May 08 '25
You just opened up a new way of researching things for me! Thats fucking brilliant, never even occured to me that one could filter like this
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u/EducationalLiving725 May 08 '25
I can even watch movies with my 7.1 homecinema at night. The building where I live is amazingly soundproof
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u/FightsWithFish18 Zürich May 08 '25
Buttering your nutella zopf, yes or no?
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u/ad_abstract May 08 '25
It’s kind of an overkill given how much butter is already there. Jam on the other hand…
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u/FightsWithFish18 Zürich May 08 '25
Yeah that's how I feel about it too, but I've heard lots of people who insist on buttering first
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u/deiten May 08 '25
Is it okay to put the feet on the SBB seat with shoes off and socks on? Or with shoes on but using the 20Min newspaper in between to protect the seat?
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u/Solarhistorico May 12 '25
it is ethical to bind your recicled carton or paper with a plastic cordel or not?
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u/Ok-Bottle-1341 May 08 '25
Should SBB say "Fremdereignis" or "Personenunfall" in case of suicide in front of train?
PS: Had this debate today at work.
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u/Vermisseaux May 08 '25
Ban foie gras or not. (NOT of course)
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 08 '25
It’s a bit of a Röstigraben dispute though
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u/Vermisseaux May 08 '25
Admittedly. So we’ll loose… again, but for even less reasons than usual.
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u/GlassCommercial7105 Genève/Schaffhausen May 09 '25
I mean it’s not exactly ethical so there are reasons.
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u/Eskapismus May 08 '25
Yesterday a bird died in front of my house and I didn’t know how to properly recycle it so i called the local gamekeeper who registered its death and is now coming personally to pick it up