Summer session 2026 National Council decides on lifting ban on new nuclear power plant construction +++ Council of States debates extension of Sunday sales

From today, Monday, until June 19, the Federal Palace in Bern will once again be a hive of activity. The summer session of the National Council and the Council of States will feature numerous important dossiers.

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5 a.m.

Council of States debates extension of Sunday sales

This Tuesday, the Council of States is debating whether the cantons should be able to authorize up to twelve Sunday sales per year in future. The current maximum is four. The bill is intended to take account of changing shopping needs and competition from online retailers.

The legislative project is the result of an initiative by the canton of Zurich, which was recently approved by both responsible parliamentary committees. The Federal Council also welcomes the proposal. The proposal of the Council of States' Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation (WAK-S) brings a "moderate flexibilization" that leaves it up to the cantons to decide how to deal with Sunday work.

The majority of the WAK-N wants to give cantons and municipalities more leeway to approve Sunday sales. According to the majority, the optional formulation allows for flexible adaptation to local needs without having to amend the Labor Act as a whole.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 4.30 a.m.

National Council decides on lifting ban on new nuclear power plant construction

The National Council will decide today on lifting the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs). On Monday, the National Councillors spent several hours discussing the counter-proposal to the blackout initiative. This would lift the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants at legislative level. The SVP and FDP were clearly in favor of the counter-proposal - the SP, GLP and Greens were clearly against it. In the end, the exact majority within the center group will be decisive. The issue had already caused a stir on Monday evening. The environmental organization Greenpeace projected images onto the Federal Palace as a protest against the pro-nuclear debate.

Monday, June 8, 2026, 4.30 a.m.

National Council discusses ban on new nuclear power plant construction today

The National Council is today debating the lifting of the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants. It will begin its deliberations on the counter-proposal to the blackout initiative. The Federal Council and the Council of States want to allow the granting of general licenses for new nuclear power plants again. A narrow majority of the preliminary committee is of the same opinion. A strong minority is against the legislative amendments and has requested that they not be passed. In the end, the majority in the center group will probably be decisive. An hour-long debate is to be expected.

12.33 p.m.

Council of States says no to the centrist initiative against the marriage penalty

The electorate approved the introduction of individual taxation in March, and it should stay that way. The Council of States has decided by a narrow majority to recommend that voters say no to the centrist initiative against the marriage penalty in taxes.

The initiative calls for the elimination of the marriage penalty in direct federal tax. However, it does not propose individual taxes regardless of marital status, but rather wants married couples to be assessed jointly as they are today.

However, legal provisions should then prevent married couples from being discriminated against in comparison to cohabiting couples. For the Council of States, this is not a viable option: on Thursday, it voted against the initiative by 24 votes to 21. The National Council and the Federal Council also rejected the initiative.

Thursday, June 4, 4.30 a.m.

Council of States debates marriage penalty again

The marriage penalty for tax purposes is back on the agenda after the people voted in favor of individual taxation in March. This Thursday, the Council of States is debating a popular initiative by the Center Party calling for the abolition of the marriage penalty in federal taxes.

However, the centrist initiative does not propose individual taxes regardless of marital status. Instead, it wants married couples to be assessed jointly as they are today. However, legal provisions should then prevent married couples from being discriminated against in comparison to cohabiting couples.

After the Yes to individual taxation, the Center Party stuck to its popular initiative, which contradicts this law. The Center Party and the SVP had rejected the separate assessment of married couples. Representatives of these two parties proposed a Yes to the initiative in the Economic Committee of the Council of States (WAK-S).

However, the committee voted 7 to 6 against the initiative and does not want a counter-proposal. The majority believes that individual taxation should now be able to be introduced following approval by the electorate.

Marriage penalty to be abolishedTax revolution decided - will I have to pay less from this year?

12.47 p.m.

National Council wants better support for victims of violence

Victims of violence should have easier access to primary medical care in Switzerland. The National Council has adopted a bill to this effect. It also wants to oblige the cantons to provide sufficient shelters.

On Wednesday, the large chamber adopted the revision of the Victim Assistance Act by 139 votes to 55 with no abstentions. The Council of States must now deal with the bill.

With the revision of the law, the Federal Council is implementing orders from Parliament. Another key point is the requirement for the cantons to provide shelters for victims of violence - mostly women - and their relatives.

The majority of the pre-advisory committee wanted to explicitly state that the number of shelters must be sufficient. A minority of the committee from the SVP, on the other hand, wanted to delete the provision altogether.

The Council ultimately rejected the deletion proposal by 131 votes to 63 with two abstentions.

12.44 p.m.

Council of States wants equal treatment for the disposal of electronics

Electrical and electronic devices originating from abroad should be subject to the same take-back and disposal obligations that apply to Swiss manufacturers. This is what the Council of States is calling for in a motion adopted on Wednesday.

It adopted a motion by Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger by 39 votes to 4, which will now go to the National Council. In her motion, the Lucerne-based member of the Council of States says that there are currently unfair cost advantages and distortions of competition.

Today, online platforms can distribute the aforementioned foreign products without being bound by the take-back and disposal obligations that apply to Swiss manufacturers. It is important to create a level playing field between domestic and foreign market participants.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti requested that the motion be rejected. Work is already underway to specify the provisions for online mail order companies and online platforms at ordinance level. In addition, there is already a parliamentary proposal with a similar thrust.

9.30 a.m.

National Council wants to push through VAT increase

The financing of the 13th AHV pension remains controversial. The National Council is narrowly backing a temporary increase in VAT - against the wishes of the SP, Greens and Center Party.

13th AHV pensionNational Council wants to push through VAT increase

9.29 a.m.

Parliament wants to ban the setting off of firecrackers throughout Switzerland

The setting off of firecrackers is to be banned throughout Switzerland. This is the opinion of Parliament. The Council of States approved the corresponding legal provisions on Wednesday as a second chamber. There are no differences between the Councils.

The tightening of the law was triggered by the popular initiative "For a restriction on fireworks (fireworks initiative)". The National Council committee responsible had drawn up an indirect counter-proposal to this in view of the mood of the population.

According to this proposal, fireworks that are used exclusively to produce firecrackers are to be banned. The import of sparklers, cake fountains, firecrackers, table bombs and other small fireworks is to be restricted to 2.5 kilograms per person per day.

There will be no tightening of the identification requirements. A cantonal permit requirement for the setting off of fireworks that pose a medium or high risk is also off the table.

5.17 a.m.

Next round in the dispute over AHV funding in the National Council

Should the 13th AHV pension be financed from VAT alone or with an increase in VAT and higher salary contributions? The National Council will discuss this question once again this Wednesday morning. Its Social Security and Health Committee (SGK-N) wants to finance the "thirteenth" of the AHV alone with higher VAT, and this for a limited period until 2033. The majority of the committee is proposing an increase of 0.5 percentage points.

In the first round of deliberations, the National Council had decided on an additional 0.7 percentage points. The lower proposal is the Commission majority's response to the good results of the AHV equalization fund. It therefore wants to reduce the burden on households. In return, however, the Commission extended the time limit from 2030 to 2033 compared to the first Council decision. The majority believes that the AHV must be financially stabilized as part of the next major reform and that more time is needed for this.

The committee approved the additional 0.5 percentage points of VAT by 14 votes to 11. It does not want to increase the reduced rate for everyday goods and services - such as food. The special rate for the hotel industry, on the other hand, is to rise by 0.3 percentage points. The Council of States recently decided on mixed financing of the "thirteenth" for AHV pensioners, with an increase in VAT and higher salary contributions. In the opinion of the National Council committee, this method of financing would place too great a burden on the working population and companies. In March, the Council of States decided to increase salary contributions for the "thirteenth" of the AHV by 0.3 percentage points instead of 0.4 percentage points and VAT by 0.4 percentage points instead of 0.5 percentage points. This was also a reaction to the good results of the AHV equalization fund.

The plan is to adjust the financing of the 13th AHV pension in the current session. This is to be paid out for the first time next December.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 4.30 a.m.

National Council discusses new powers for intelligence service

Today, Wednesday, the National Council is discussing new powers for the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS). The key point is that surveillance measures such as tapping telephone conversations or tracking transmitters on cars should also be possible in the fight against violent extremism in future. Until now, this has only been the case when it comes to terrorism, espionage or attacks on critical infrastructure.

Specifically, the Grand Chamber is discussing the first part of the three-part revision of the Intelligence Service Act. The Federal Council justifies the project with the changed threat situation. Since 2020, the threats that the FIS has to deal with have multiplied.

As before, judicial approval would be required for so-called procurement measures. The revision goes too far for the left-wing of the Council. The FIS is already not fully complying with the current law, particularly when it comes to monitoring political activities, it criticizes. A minority of the National Council's Security Policy Committee (SIK-N) therefore requested that the revision be referred back to the Federal Council for revision.

Another key change concerns financial intermediaries. According to the Federal Council, the FIS should now also be able to collect data from banks and other financial service providers in cases such as terrorist financing or espionage. In addition, the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) will also be able to impose exit restrictions on violent extremists in future.

3.29 pm

Parliament provides better protection for entrepreneurs in the event of unemployment

Parliament is providing better unemployment insurance cover for entrepreneurs working in their own business. In future, they will be able to claim benefits more easily under certain conditions.

On Monday, the National Council agreed with the Council of States without a countermotion. The Council of States had included additional safeguards against abuse in the bill submitted by the National Council's Social Security and Health Committee when discussing the matter in the spring session. The business is ready for the final vote.

Specifically, the amendment to the law concerns persons in an employer-like position. Andri Silberschmidt (FDP/ZH) provided the impetus for the amendment with a parliamentary initiative.

He was particularly bothered by the fact that those affected would have to pay into unemployment insurance, but would only receive benefits once they had completely separated from the company in question.

2.45 p.m.

Two new National Councillors for the Greens and the GLP

The National Council has two new members. Bernese Green Andrea de Meuron and Aargau GLP politician Barbara Portmann took office at the start of the summer session on Monday. The 52-year-old Andrea de Meuron from Thun is the successor to Aline Trede, who also took office on Monday as a newly elected member of the Bernese cantonal government.

De Meuron began her political career in 2007 in the Thun municipal parliament. She was elected to the Bernese cantonal parliament in 2014 and to the Thun municipal government in 2018. There she heads the Finance, Resources, Environment department. She also has ambitions for the Thun municipal presidency, which will be filled in June.

51-year-old Barbara Portmann (GLP/AG) will replace Beat Flach, who has stepped down, in the National Council. She has been a member of the Lenzburg municipal government since 2022 and heads the Education, Youth and Family department. She was previously a member of the Aargau cantonal parliament and chaired the GLP parliamentary group.

Monday, June 1, 2026, 07.04 a.m.

Summer session starts today

This afternoon marks the start of the summer session of the Federal Assembly. Over the next three weeks, there will be numerous important dossiers to discuss. Among the items on the agenda until June 19 are the controversial free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur states, the planned lifting of the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants and the procurement of new armaments for the army. The final votes are due at the end of the three-week session. For example, the bill on the financing of the 13th AHV pension should be finalized by then.

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From today, Monday, until June 19, the Federal Palace in Bern will once again be a hive of activity. The summer session of the National Council and the Council of States will feature numerous important dossiers.

An overview in chronological order:

Two new members of the National Council are sworn in at the start of the summer session. The 53-year-old Andrea de Meuron (Greens/BE) succeeds Aline Trede. The 42-year-old was recently elected to the Bernese cantonal government and subsequently resigned from her position in the large chamber. Aargau GLP National Councillor Beat Flach, who stepped down after 14 years in parliament, will be replaced by 51-year-old Lenzburg city councillor Barbara Portmann. According to his own statements, 61-year-old Flach will remain involved in politics - simply in a different role outside the National Council chamber.

At the start of the session, the Council of States will deal with the financing of health costs for prisoners. The Federal Council wants to extend compulsory insurance to prisoners who are not resident in Switzerland. In addition, the cantons should be able to agree special forms of insurance with the insurance companies for all prisoners. The responsible committee of the small chamber rejects the proposal. It fears a disproportionate administrative burden, as detainees who are not Swiss residents are generally only accepted into health insurance for a few months. In addition, the cantons are responsible for ensuring that detainees who are not resident in Switzerland also have access to healthcare.

The promotion of non-profit housing is coming to the Council of States. The Federal Council and National Council want to use subsidies to tackle the dwindling supply of affordable housing and therefore want to increase the federal fund for non-profit housing construction. This fund grants repayable loans to non-profit housing developers for the construction, renovation and purchase of properties as well as the acquisition of building land. The guarantee instrument for housing promotion is also to be continued. The responsible Council of States committee supports the proposals, albeit by a very narrow margin. A strong minority is against. In view of the federal government's financial situation, an extension of the subsidy is not justifiable.

The Council of States is once again dealing with the legal consequences of the fire disaster in Crans-Montana VS. Specifically, it concerns the Confederation's involvement in any settlement solutions. There was no dispute in the responsible committee about the principle that the Confederation can participate in settlements resulting from round-table discussions with a maximum amount of twenty million. A narrow majority also wanted the law to include examples of the conditions according to which the Federal Council decides on participation in settlements.

Six months before the next budget debate, there will be a small prologue: the National Council and Council of States will discuss the results of the 2025 state accounts, which showed a surplus of almost CHF 1.2 billion instead of the budgeted CHF 500 million. The better result suits the conservatives. They point out that many proposals are not yet financed - such as the 13th AHV pension or the expansion of the army. The left, however, criticizes the federal revenue estimates, which are once again too pessimistic. The federal government actually has enough leeway for further investments.

By the end of the session, it should be clear how the 13th AHV pension is to be financed. The two chambers of parliament have been arguing about this for some time. The National Council committee responsible wants to finance the supplementary pension solely from VAT and is making a new proposal. It is proposing a temporary increase of 0.5 percentage points until the end of 2033. In the first round of consultations, the National Council decided on an additional 0.7 percentage points, limited until 2030. The Council of States, on the other hand, has so far relied on VAT and salary contributions. It has already been decided that the 13th AHV pension will be paid out for the first time at the end of the year. CHF 4.2 billion will be needed for this in 2026, around CHF 4.5 billion in 2030 and CHF 5.4 billion in 2040.

The popular initiative "For a restriction on fireworks (fireworks initiative)" and the indirect counter-proposal to it are causing a stir in the Council of States. Its responsible committee wants to follow the National Council on most points. This means that the setting off of firecrackers is to be banned throughout Switzerland. There should be no tightening of the identification requirement. Unlike the National Council, a narrow majority of the Council of States committee wants to make the setting off of fireworks that pose a medium or high risk subject to cantonal authorization. The fireworks initiative is to be rejected in favor of the counter-proposal.

In future, e-trucks will have to pay the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (HVC), as those with fossil fuels already have to do today. Like the National Council, the responsible Council of States committee also agrees in principle. The small chamber will now decide on the matter. Several proposals to amend the bill are being discussed. For example, the Council of States committee rejects the idea of adjusting the flat-rate charges and the HVF tariffs in line with inflation if this changes by at least two percentage points. The majority wants to give the Federal Council leeway when adjusting to inflation. The minority, on the other hand, wants planning security for companies. The committee also decided to include a minimum value and a tariff cap in the law for setting the HVF tariffs.

The partial revision of the Victim Assistance Act is intended to give victims of violence better access to primary medical care. For example, a sufficient number of places in emergency shelters are to be provided. The Grand Chamber is now the first chamber to discuss this. Its responsible committee considers it necessary to expand victim support services. A minority, however, is requesting that the corresponding provision on accommodation be completely removed from the draft. In 2024, there were 17 femicides and two men killed in current or former partnerships. One minor, one woman and five men were killed in a family context. This means that over half of the 45 homicides took place in a domestic context.

At the end of January, the Federal Council passed a bill to revise the Intelligence Service Act for the attention of parliament. It wants to give the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) more tools for the early detection of threats. It also wants to strengthen the supervision of the FIS. The National Council is the first chamber to discuss this. Its responsible committee wants to further expand the tasks of the FIS for the procurement of information. A minority, however, criticizes the fact that the FIS does not fully comply with the current law, particularly when it comes to monitoring political activities. It therefore wants to reject the bill until the control mechanisms are in place.

Following approval by the electorate, individual taxation can now also be introduced. The responsible committee of the Council of States therefore rejects the centrist popular initiative to abolish the marriage tax penalty at federal level. The committee also does not want a counter-proposal. It decided to reject the initiative by 7 votes to 6. It rejected an indirect counter-proposal with the same ratio of votes. The small chamber will make the final decision. The fronts are likely to be clear: The narrow majority that voted for individual taxation in the Council of States is now likely to reject the counter-proposal of the centrist initiative. It remains to be seen whether the initiative will be withdrawn after the Council of States' deliberations in the summer.

In Switzerland, the construction of new nuclear power plants should be made possible again. This is the opinion of the Federal Council and the Council of States. The debate in the National Council is now imminent. Its responsible committee also wants to adopt the indirect counter-proposal to the blackout initiative. However, the decision was made by a narrow margin of 13 votes to 12. A strong minority is against the changes to the law. It argues that planning security for the expansion of renewable energies would suffer if the ban were lifted. It also fears "considerable financial risks". The voters are likely to have the final say. The Greens have already announced a referendum should the National Council follow the majority of its committee. The popular initiative is subject to a mandatory referendum anyway.

The National Council does not want an import ban on foie gras, but rather a declaration obligation and, if necessary, further measures to reduce the commercial import volume. Now it is the turn of the Council of States. However, its responsible committee wants to supplement the counter-proposal to the foie gras initiative in certain areas. According to the proposal, the Federal Council should also be given the opportunity to propose animal welfare-related requirements and requirements relating to production processes. The committee also wants to specify the order in which the measures should be taken depending on how the situation develops. Like the Federal Council, a minority is calling for the counter-proposal to be rejected.

The Council of States is debating whether the cantons should be able to authorize up to twelve Sunday sales per year in future. The current maximum is four. The bill is intended to take account of changing shopping needs and competition from online retailers. The legislative project is the result of an initiative by the Canton of Zurich, which was approved by both parliamentary committees responsible. The Federal Council welcomes the proposal. It is a "moderate flexibilization" that leaves it up to the cantons to decide how to deal with Sunday work. There is criticism from the left. Opponents argue that the proposal is anti-social, endangers the health of employees and disregards democratic decisions. The population has regularly rejected Sunday sales at the ballot box.

Switzerland is dependent on an efficient electricity grid, not least for the energy transition. The National Council now wants to push ahead with the conversion and expansion of the grid. Now it is the Council of States' turn. Its responsible committee has also said yes to the so-called grid express. However, it wants to extend the bill and, for example, is in favor of assigning national importance to the distribution grid facilities as well as the transmission grid facilities, which in principle outweighs other national interests. However, the low-voltage grid should be excluded. The Council of States Committee agrees that high-voltage and extra-high-voltage lines should in principle hang in the air.

The Federal Council wants to strengthen the position of spouses on farms. To this end, it is proposing, for example, a preferential right of first refusal for spouses. In addition, the entrepreneurial scope for agricultural businesses is to be expanded. To this end, the state government is proposing, among other things, an increase in the previous limit for taking out mortgages. The National Council is the first chamber to discuss the bill. Its responsible committee largely requested that the Federal Council's draft be approved. In the overall vote, the committee unanimously approved the partial revision of agricultural land law.

Prescriptions for medicines and medication plans are to be issued and filled electronically in future. This should improve the quality of treatment and patient safety. Like the National Council, the responsible Council of States committee also wants to amend the Therapeutic Products Act accordingly. However, patients should be able to request to receive the prescription or medication plan in paper form. To speed up the digitalization of the medication process, the Council of States committee wants to allow mail order and home delivery services for medicines. It is also proposing a new, simplified authorization procedure for veterinary medicinal products in order to increase security of supply. Finally, it is fundamentally in favor of the new regulations on advanced therapy medicinal products.

Until now, flights have been allowed to take off or land at Zurich Airport until 11 pm. It is also permitted to reduce delays without a special permit until 11.30 pm. The Federal Council now wants to enshrine this current regime in the Aviation Act. The responsible National Council committee is of the same opinion. By 17 votes to 8, it decided to extend the so-called vested rights guarantee to the operation of the national airports of Zurich and Geneva. The National Council is the first chamber to discuss the bill to amend the Aviation Act. A minority of the committee rejects the amendment because it fears that noise protection could be weakened as a result.

Swiss citizens who voluntarily fought with the Resistance in France or with Italian resistance groups against fascism during the Second World War should be rehabilitated. This is what the National Council wants. Now it is the turn of the Council of States. Its responsible committee is in agreement with the bill. The majority sees the rehabilitation of the Swiss volunteers as a sign of recognition of the historical contribution that these people made in the fight for freedom and democracy. At the same time, the committee emphasizes that the ban on foreign military service still has an important security and state policy function today.

The Council of States holds a lengthy debate on the army. The priorities set by the Federal Council for the army's rearmament are well received by the committee responsible. It wants to wave through the Armed Forces Dispatch unchanged - including the additional credit for the procurement of an estimated thirty F-35 fighter jets. In total, this involves commitment credits of around CHF 3.4 billion. In view of the heightened security policy situation, the committee considers it essential to increase the army's defense capability and strengthen its defense against the most likely threats. Proposals to forego individual procurements and to increase funding for the defense against mini-drones were clearly rejected by the committee.

The National Council is bending over backwards on the VAT rate for tourism. In the opinion of Parliament, the hotel industry should continue to pay less VAT than other businesses. The special rate for accommodation establishments of 3.8% instead of 8.1% is to be retained until 2035. The Federal Council is opposed to the implementation of a corresponding motion for financial policy reasons. The special rate was introduced at the time as a temporary measure to support the ailing hotel industry. To date, the special rate has been extended six times, most recently until 2027.

Expanding the list of safe countries of origin, no residence permits for criminals, stricter deportation rules for third-country nationals with criminal convictions: these and other demands will be addressed by both chambers of parliament during an extraordinary session on the topic of security. Proposals from the SVP, FDP and GLP will be discussed in the National Council. The Federal Council proposes that most of these motions be rejected. Two SVP motions will be debated in the Council of States.

The free trade agreement with the Mercosur states is coming to Parliament. The National Council is the first chamber to discuss it. The majority of the responsible committee sees the agreement as an opportunity to diversify Swiss trade relations in the current geopolitical global situation. The committee wants to add an additional article to the federal decree. This requires the Federal Council to adopt the provisions of the EU's Deforestation Ordinance. The agreement is not uncontroversial. The Greens have already announced a referendum against the bill. And the agricultural sector is anything but satisfied. As a flanking measure to the Mercosur agreement, it is calling for a commitment credit in the millions to cushion the negative effects.

New rules on the adoption of stepchildren should be considered in a broader context. This is what the responsible Council of States committee is calling for. It therefore wants to refer the bill on simplified stepchild adoption back to the Federal Council. The federal government should therefore integrate facilitated stepchild adoption into the ongoing revision of the law on parentage and the Reproductive Medicine Act and submit an overall package to Parliament. A minority requested that the proposal be referred back to the Federal Council. Another minority requested that the bill be rejected. The small chamber will now decide on the matter.

Towards the end of the session, the Council of States will debate a ban on severance payments to federal executives. This was prompted by a parliamentary initiative from former Schaffhausen Council of States member Thomas Minder (non-party). Severance payments can currently be made to directors of offices, for example. However, there is no severance pay for voluntary resignations. The Federal Council is against a ban. Severance payments could be appropriate in certain situations, but should be used in moderation, it wrote in its statement on the planned amendment to the law. A ban could have a negative impact on the attractiveness of top management positions at the federal government.