Woman reveals what she ‘really’ thinks about Switzerland in viral post after becoming citizen

After waiting 14 years to become a citizen of one of the most expensive countries on earth, Jenny Chase reveals what she really thinks of the nation.

A woman who has become a Swiss citizen after living in the nation for 14 years has revealed what she really thinks of life in one of the world’s most expensive countries.

In a now viral X thread viewed more than 15 million times, Jenny Chase wrote: “Since I cannot be refused citizenship now, it is time to say what I really think of this country.”

Ms Chase moved to Switzerland in 2010 and has been married to her partner she met there since 2012.

The mother-of-one, who is a solar analyst, explained she needed 10 years residency to start a citizenship application, which then took another four years.

Living in the canton of Solothurn, Ms Chase said there were 25 hours of courses as part of the application process, “designed to make you think about why you are doing this and prepare you for two exams, and multiple interviews” in German.

Jenny Chase. Picture: X / @solar_chase

The new citizen’s first bold statement about what she really thinks of the country was about its beer and cheese.

“Britain’s cheese and beer are much better than those of Switzerland and it’s not even close,” she said.

She went on to discuss Switzerland’s low tax rates and high salaries, and its neutrality.

Permanent neutrality is a principle of Swiss foreign policy, meaning it is not allowed to participate in armed conflicts and join military alliances.

“Low tax rates and high salaries act as a brain drain on surrounding countries (hi). This is how a poor country has become a very rich one in less than a hundred years,” Ms Chase wrote.

“Switzerland’s neutrality is self-serving (but if no nation was neutral, no nation could host organisations like the Red Cross. And if neutrality is your thing, you cannot make exceptions, otherwise it’s not neutrality).”

She added customer service in restaurants or shops outside cities is often unfriendly unless you are a regular.

Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Picture: iStock

Some commenters on the post welcomed the perspective, while others took offence or were simply left baffled by the claim cheese was better in the UK.

“Agree with it all but in what world is British cheese better than Swiss cheese?????” one person wrote, receiving hundreds of likes.

“Interesting take. Will strongly disagree on the cheese part,” said another.

Ms Chase said the Swiss were ‘really serious’ about democracy. Pictured here is pedestrians walking past a referendum poster earlier this year in Geneva. Picture: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Ms Chase had many good things to say about Switzerland, including that it was child-friendly.

She said it was normal to see young children in posh restaurants or walking alone in their village or to school.

She said she liked that the Swiss were “really serious” about democracy, and there were also hefty fines for speeding drivers, which are “often linked to financial circumstances, so the rich pay higher fines”.

She also praised the country’s infrastructure.

“The rich use public transport, and the Postbus serves even isolated communities,” she wrote.

“Houses and apartments get built as infill, not sprawl. This is a country that plans 50 years ahead, across the generations.”