Students staged protests across Switzerland on Wednesday against a plan to double university registration fees and other austerity measures in higher education, reported RTS.
A petition with more than 37,000 signatures was handed to the Federal Chancellery in Bern. The fee rise forms part of the Federal Council’s 2027 budget-consolidation package. The Swiss Students’ Union (UNES) says it would erode equal opportunity and weaken the country’s education system: Cut education today and you get skills shortages, lower social mobility and less innovation, say those opposing the fee hikes.
The public-sector union warns that planned research cuts, including to the Swiss National Science Foundation, could leave 500–700 projects unfunded and cost 1,500–2,000 jobs between 2026 and 2028.
More than 2,000 people gathered on Federal Square in Bern. Actions backed by unions and academic staff also took place in Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Lausanne, Geneva and Neuchâtel.
In Geneva, around 400 people assembled at Uni-Mail. Local unions claim the Federal Council’s plan would slice CHF 22.5 million from the budget of the University of Geneva—about 20% of research projects and 40 professorships. The HES-SO network has already approved a fee increase across its 28 schools: up CHF 400 a year for Swiss students and CHF 1,100 for those from abroad. Management says the rise merely aligns charges with other universities and reflects the fact fees have not been adjusted since 1998; it is not, they insist, directly tied to the national savings drive.
Switzerland’s public-university tuition is low by European standards—higher than Germany and France, lower than the Netherlands and far below the UK. However, living costs are comparatively high.
In Lausanne, some 150 people protested at the University of Lausanne, where the canton’s draft 2026 budget foresees CHF 20 million in cuts. Student groups and unions say UNIL will be unable to meet its teaching and research mission, with posts at risk and further fee rises likely.
In Zurich about 700 people marched at midday. The union there argues that research and education cuts threaten Switzerland’s scientific standing—and that doubling fees would narrow access to those already privileged.
Government decision makers find themselves in a tight spot between unbalanced budgets and those pushing back against cuts, a squeeze that show little sign of easing.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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