Hello, M21 from northern France. I’d like to ask you some questions about Switzerland because I’m seriously considering immigrating to your country (a less glamorous term than “expat,” but it amounts to the same thing)! Basically, here’s why I’m thinking of leaving France eventually: Retirement: I know I won’t have a pension; it’s something everyone knows, but I don’t understand the inaction. That’s why I don’t necessarily want to think that part of my salary (which I can’t use) is going towards financing something I wouldn’t even be entitled to (I obviously don’t have a choice, and having a retirement savings plan on top of that is a double whammy in this case). Taxes : I believe these taxes are far too high compared to their actual use and, above all, their distribution (public services are deteriorating year after year, yet we fund “projects” costing who knows how many thousands or millions of euros, like the one currently on a bridge in Paris, without consulting the people who are funding them). Or take cases like the unlimited bar at the National Assembly, where we pay for their unlimited alcohol (which, moreover, must be consumed during working hours…). Other examples exist, especially during peak periods like these, when 60% of the price of gasoline is tax, yet we ask distributors to lower their profit margins (1 to 3 cents per liter maximum on €2 before margin reductions) rather than see the government reduce taxes… (and, fun fact, we have a tax on fuel taxes). That already gives us some significant points, but the best one, in my opinion, is the following: • Corruption: I’m not blind, and I believe it exists everywhere in the world. However, in my opinion, France lacks real convictions in cases of proven corruption or state scandals. And the French people don’t hold politicians accountable, even in major, high-profile cases. • Politicians. We see the most absurd examples, like Sarkozy, who served less than a month in prison despite being sentenced to five years (he was an accomplice to murder)… Then there are people like Marine Le Pen, who has been proven to have embezzled public funds, yet she’s still in politics and running for president… The most absurd thing, in my opinion, is that people like politicians can have criminal records as long as an elephant, while other, far less sensitive professions are required to have a clean record! Here I mentioned two right-wing figures, but it’s the same for other left-leaning politicians involved in drug trafficking and other issues… Ministers: the Minister of Ecology who becomes the Minister of Education the following year, then Minister of Urban Planning, etc. Cars: The last thing that disgusted me was discovering that the penalty imposed by the state on new cars (not necessarily sports cars or those with more than 200 hp) is now a standard tax and no longer even goes towards funding environmental projects… Knowing that I want a (used) sports car later on, I have a feeling they’ll invent another tax besides the used car penalty. Because yes, you read that right, the penalty is regressive, and even the third owner of a sports car can be penalized upon purchase. Deep down, I don’t mind paying taxes if they’re used wisely. However, I prefer to choose for myself what I want to pay. I heard about a referendum in Switzerland, is that really happening? Because, well, we saw the last one in France about whether or not to join the Euro 🤡. I’m in IT as a junior sysadmin/cybersecurity technician (5 years in a work-study program) and I’m blown away by the salaries listed on Glassdoor, which are three times higher in Switzerland. If any junior sysadmins could tell me how much they earn, I’d love to hear 😁. I also saw on the English subreddit that the German-speaking part of Switzerland is hiring more and paying more. Is that true, or is the German-speaking part really just much more heavily weighted towards Germany? These are the questions/comments I’ve been thinking about and that came to mind. Feel free to tell me if this is the case in your country or to challenge any stereotypes we French people might have :)! P.S.: No, I’m not just here for the money. What attracts me is the quality of life, the politics (being as neutral as possible and making sure no one tries to bother us), and a currency stronger than the euro. Big thanks to everyone ! submitted by /u/Whole-Occasion1286
Originally posted by u/Whole-Occasion1286 on r/Switzerland