The spiral of debt, Donald Trump and the future of NATO, the detours of planes because of closed Russian skies, explosive increases in bonuses and the rise of illegal prostitution in French-speaking Switzerland: these are the choice of the week from RTSinfo.
REPORT – when debts chase you
A quarter of the French-speaking population has already had dealings with the Prosecution Office. Fearing many people, this type of situation is increasing due to inflation, the increase in rents and the explosion in health premiums. The debt trap is never far away.
In 20 years, prosecution procedures have almost doubled in Switzerland. Now, one in eight people live with payment arrears on a daily basis.
“There are people, couples where both work full time but do not earn enough,” explains Pascal Lauber, officer at the Gruyère district prosecution office (FR) in the show Mise au Point. “With the cost of living increasing every year on things that we cannot control, these people, instead of being on the right side of the fence, fall on the wrong side. We have to open our eyes.”
>> The Mise au Point report:
>> Lire : “My dream is just to liquidate my debts”: more and more people are in the sights of prosecution
INTERVIEW – with Donald Trump, what future for NATO?
The return of Donald Trump to the White House raises fears of a withdrawal of the United States. The future 47th American president displays a certain hostility towards the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He even threatened, during his campaign, to withdraw his country from the military alliance. Europe would then be alone in charge of its own security.
A scenario that Jacques Pitteloud, permanent representative of Switzerland to the alliance in Brussels since September, sweeps away, Friday in La Matinale. The diplomat, whose five years as ambassador to Washington ended this summer, says that “Donald Trump is not about to implode the Atlantic alliance.”
For Valais, the Republican intends to push European countries to get more involved. “It will force a certain number of countries to keep their commitments.”
>> The interview with Jacques Pitteloud in La Matinale:
>> Lire : Jacques Pitteloud: “Donald Trump is not about to implode the Atlantic Alliance”
DECRYPTION – closed airspace and consequences
The air transport map has changed a lot since February 2022 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European countries having sealed off their airspace to Russian planes, Moscow in retaliation banned planes from most Western airlines from crossing its immense territory. From the simple extension of flight duration to the outright elimination of certain connections, including the problem of biased competition on certain routes, the consequences of this reshuffling of the skies are beginning to appear clearly.
The direct Zurich – Tokyo flight of the Swiss company, for example, passed through Siberia before 2022. “Now, on the way out, we go much further south. We will fly over Romania, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, China and South Korea before arriving in Japan”, details Swiss captain Luc Wolfensberger, Boeing 777 pilot, in the show Tout un monde. Lying down about 20%, the time to flight went from around 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
>> The explanations of Tout un monde:
>> Lire : Planes have to bypass the largest country in the world and it has consequences
DATA – the worst premium increases in your canton
With the publication of new health premiums, the prices of certain models which may have been advantageous, particularly with high deductibles, soar by more than 700 francs per year.
While the average increase for 2025 is 6%, some premiums will increase by more than 20%. To help you see more clearly, the RTS compared all 2025 prices with those for 2024. The tables below do not show the most expensive premiums. They highlight the most significant progressions in percentage, which could have escaped the attention of policyholders.
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>> Lire : Should you change health insurance? The worst increases in your canton
INVESTIGATION – the rise of illegal prostitution of South American origin
On the fringes of the legal prostitution market, criminal networks organize a completely illegal offer in French-speaking Switzerland. South American sectors are currently very active. Among the women who prostitute themselves, there are victims of trafficking.
Some women, with European papers, prostitute themselves completely legally. Others, however, are completely illegal. Without a residence permit or work permit, they offer paid sex only in private apartments or hotel rooms. A practice normally subject to very restrictive conditions.
As revealed by the RTS investigation unit, this illegal prostitution is booming. A phenomenon that gives the authorities a hard time.
>> The subject of 7:30 p.m.:
>> Lire : French-speaking Switzerland is seeing the rise of illegal prostitution of South American origin
RTSinfo
