Switzerland’s federal parliament has approved a balanced budget for 2026 after weeks of negotiation, settling the last points of contention on Friday, reported Le Temps. The compromise leaves the public finances in the black, with a slim margin of manoeuvre of CHF 84.6m, and reflects a clear political priority: security.
Both chambers of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland backed the budget. The lower house approved it by 127 votes to 67, with the Swiss People’s Party voting against en bloc, arguing that the economic outlook called for greater restraint. The upper house had already endorsed the package unanimously.
Despite ideological differences, lawmakers moved swiftly to compromise during three weeks of debate.
Defence emerged as the chief beneficiary. Parliament allocated an extra CHF 70m for armaments, CHF 10m for cyber-security and nearly CHF 2m for the federal police. Total spending on armaments will reach CHF 2.7bn.
Agriculture also did well. Lawmakers agreed on CHF 10m in support for winegrowers and a further CHF 10m to fund vaccination against bluetongue disease, which affects cattle and sheep.
The left fared less well overall. One of its clearest defeats was the abandonment of a proposed Basel–Malmö rail link, for which parliament refused to release the CHF 10m needed to launch the service next April. Yet it did secure a symbolic victory after public pressure forced a rethink on funding to combat violence against women. An additional CHF 1m was approved, lifting the budget of the federal equality office to just over CHF 18m—2.5m more than the government had proposed.
Cuts were also imposed on international cooperation and support for non-governmental organisations based in Geneva, though on a smaller scale than initially planned. Funding for international cooperation will total just over CHF 800m, 16m less than budgeted, while allocations for NGOs were reduced by 5m to CHF 300m.
Centrist parties played the role of brokers throughout. Their compromises often secured majorities, as in the case of Tox Info Suisse, a poison-control centre whose future had been in doubt. Parliament ultimately released CHF 1.5m to keep it afloat.
Under the approved budget, federal spending will amount to CHF 91.1bn against revenues of CHF 90.3bn. The final balance turned out better than expected largely thanks to an additional CHF 290m in revenue from the canton of Geneva.
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Le Temps article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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