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Report nowUntil June 19, the Federal Palace in Bern will once again be bustling with activity. Numerous important issues will be on the agenda during the summer session of the National Council and Council of States.
From today, Monday, through June 19, the Federal Palace in Bern will once again be bustling with activity. Numerous high-profile issues will be on the agenda during the summer session of the National Council and Council of States.
Here is an overview in chronological order:
At the start of the summer session in the National Council, two new members will be sworn in. Andrea de Meuron, 53 (Greens/BE), will succeed Aline Trede. The 42-year-old was recently elected to the Bern cantonal government and subsequently resigned from her seat in the lower house. Beat Flach, a GLP National Council member from Aargau who stepped down after 14 years in parliament, will be replaced by 51-year-old Lenzburg City Council member Barbara Portmann. Flach, 61, says he 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 is addressing the financing of healthcare costs for inmates. The Federal Council wants to extend the mandatory insurance requirement to inmates without a Swiss residence. In addition, the cantons should be able to negotiate special insurance plans with insurance companies for all inmates. The relevant committee of the Council of States rejects the proposal. It fears a disproportionate administrative burden, as inmates without Swiss residency are typically enrolled in health insurance for only a few months. Furthermore, the cantons are responsible for ensuring that even inmates without a residence in Switzerland have access to health care.
The promotion of non-profit housing construction is coming before the Council of States. The Federal Council and the National Council want to use subsidies to address the dwindling supply of affordable housing and are therefore proposing to increase the federal fund for non-profit housing construction. This fund provides nonprofit housing developers with repayable loans for new construction, renovation, and the purchase of properties, as well as the acquisition of building land. The guarantee instrument for housing promotion is also to be continued. The relevant Council of States committee supports the proposals, albeit by a very narrow margin. A significant minority opposes them, arguing that expanding the support would be irresponsible given the federal government’s financial situation.
The Council of States is once again addressing the legal consequences of the Crans-Montana, VS, fire disaster. Specifically, the issue concerns the federal government’s participation in any potential settlement agreements. The relevant committee was unanimous on the principle that the federal government may contribute a total of no more than twenty million to settlements resulting from the roundtable discussions. A narrow majority also wants the law to explicitly list the conditions under which the Federal Council decides on participation in settlements.
Members of the National Council and Council of States will meet at the Federal Palace in June for the summer session. (KEYSTONE/Anthony Anex)
KEYSTONE
Half a year before the next budget debate, there is a brief prelude: the National Council and the Council of States are discussing the results of the 2025 Federal Budget. It showed a surplus of nearly 1.2 billion francs instead of the projected just under 500 million francs. The better-than-expected result suits the center-right parties. They point out that many proposed measures currently lack funding—such as the 13th AHV pension or the expansion of the armed forces. The left, however, criticizes the federal revenue estimates, which they say are once again too pessimistic. The federal government actually has sufficient 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 debating this for some time. The relevant National Council committee wants to finance the supplementary pension solely through the value-added tax and is putting forward a new proposal to that effect. It is proposing a temporary increase of an additional 0.5 percentage points, valid through the end of 2033. In the first round of deliberations, the National Council had approved an additional 0.7 percentage points, valid through 2030. The Council of States, on the other hand, has so far relied on value-added tax and payroll 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. This will require 4.2 billion francs in 2026, around 4.5 billion francs in 2030, and 5.4 billion francs in 2040.
The popular initiative “For a Restriction on Fireworks (Fireworks Initiative)” and the indirect counterproposal are the subject of debate in the Council of States. The relevant committee intends to follow the National Council’s position on most points. This means that setting off firecrackers is to be banned throughout Switzerland. There will be no stricter requirements regarding the obligation to present identification. Unlike the National Council, a narrow majority of the Council of States committee wants to make the use of fireworks posing a medium or high risk subject to a cantonal permit requirement. The Fireworks Initiative is to be rejected in favor of the counterproposal.
In the future, electric trucks are to pay the performance-based heavy vehicle fee (LSVA), just as those with fossil-fuel engines are required to do today. Like the National Council, the relevant Council of States committee agrees in principle. Now the Council of States will decide on the matter. Several motions to amend the bill are under discussion. For example, the Council of States committee opposes adjusting the LSVA’s flat-rate charges and tariffs to inflation if inflation changes by at least two percentage points. The majority wants to give the Federal Council leeway to make adjustments for inflation. The minority, on the other hand, wants planning certainty for businesses. In addition, the committee decided to enshrine in law a minimum value and a rate cap for setting LSVA rates.
The partial revision of the Victim Assistance Act aims to provide victims of violence with better access to emergency medical care. For example, it seeks to ensure a sufficient number of beds in emergency shelters. The National Council is now deliberating on the matter as the first chamber. Its relevant committee considers it necessary to expand victim assistance services. A minority, however, proposes completely removing the relevant provision on shelter services from the draft. In 2024, there were 17 femicides and two men killed in current or former relationships. In a family context, one minor, one woman, and five men were killed. More than half of the 45 homicides thus occurred in a domestic setting.
At the end of January, the Federal Council adopted a bill to revise the Intelligence Service Act and submitted it to Parliament. The aim is to provide the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) with more tools for the early detection of threats. It also seeks to strengthen oversight of the FIS. The National Council is the first chamber to deliberate on the matter. Its relevant committee intends to further expand the FIS’s responsibilities for intelligence gathering. A minority, however, criticizes the FIS for not fully complying with the current law, particularly regarding the surveillance of political activities. It therefore intends to reject the bill until the oversight mechanisms are functioning properly.
Now that voters have approved it, individual taxation is set to be implemented. The relevant committee of the Council of States therefore rejects the popular initiative calling for the abolition of the “marriage tax penalty” at the federal level. The committee also does not want a counterproposal. It approved the motion to reject the initiative by a vote of 7 to 6. By the same margin, it rejected an indirect counterproposal. The Council of States will make the final decision on the matter. The lines are likely to be clearly drawn: the narrow majority that voted in favor of individual taxation in the Council of States is now expected to reject the alternative proposal put forward by the Center initiative. It remains to be seen whether the initiative will ultimately be withdrawn this summer following deliberations in the Council of States.
The construction of new nuclear power plants is to be permitted again in Switzerland. This is the view of the Federal Council and the Council of States. The debate is now set to take place in the National Council. Its relevant committee also intends to adopt the indirect counterproposal to the Blackout Initiative. However, the decision was only narrowly passed, by a vote of 13 to 12. A significant minority opposes the legislative changes. They argue that lifting the ban would undermine planning certainty for the expansion of renewable energy. They also fear “considerable financial risks.” Voters are likely to have the final say. The Greens have already announced that they will call for a referendum should the National Council follow the majority of its committee. The popular initiative is subject to a mandatory referendum in any case.
The National Council does not want an import ban on foie gras, but rather intends to rely on mandatory labeling and, if necessary, additional measures to reduce the volume of commercial imports. Now it is the Council of States’ turn. However, its relevant committee intends to make specific additions to the counterproposal for the foie gras initiative. Accordingly, the Federal Council would also be given the option to propose animal welfare requirements and conditions regarding production methods. In addition, the committee wants to specify the order in which the measures should be implemented depending on how the situation develops. A minority, like the Federal Council, is calling for the rejection of the counterproposal.
The Council of States is debating whether cantons could in the future authorize up to twelve Sunday sales per year. Currently, the maximum is four. The bill aims to address changing shopping needs and competition from online retail. The bill stems from a cantonal initiative by the Canton of Zurich, which was endorsed by both relevant parliamentary committees. The Federal Council welcomes the proposal. It describes it as a “moderate relaxation” that continues to leave it up to the cantons to decide how to handle Sunday work. Criticism is coming from the left. Opponents argue that the proposal is antisocial, endangers employees’ health, and disregards democratic decisions. They point out that the public has regularly rejected Sunday sales at the ballot box.
Switzerland relies on a high-performance power grid, not least for the energy transition. The National Council now wants to move forward with upgrades and expansions to the grid. Now it is the Council of States’ turn. Its relevant committee has also approved the so-called “Netzexpress.” However, it wants to expand the bill and, for example, advocates assigning national significance to distribution grid facilities as well as transmission grid facilities—a significance that would, in principle, take precedence over other national interests. The low-voltage grid, however, is to be exempted. The Council of States committee agrees that high- and extra-high-voltage power lines should generally be overhead.
The Federal Council aims to strengthen the position of spouses on farms. To this end, it proposes, for example, granting spouses a preferential right of first refusal. In addition, the scope for entrepreneurial action by agricultural businesses is to be expanded. To this end, the federal government plans, among other things, to raise the current debt limit for the creation of real estate liens. The National Council is deliberating on the bill as the first chamber. Its relevant committee has largely recommended approving the Federal Council’s draft. In the final vote, the committee unanimously approved the partial revision of the Agricultural Land Act.
In the future, prescriptions for medications and medication plans are to be issued and filled electronically as a general rule. This is intended to improve the quality of care and patient safety. Like the National Council, the relevant Council of States committee also intends 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 accelerate the digitization of the medication process, the Council of States committee intends to allow mail-order sales and home delivery services for medications. In addition, it is proposing a new, simplified approval procedure for veterinary drugs to enhance the security of supply. Finally, it generally supports the new regulations on drugs for advanced therapies.
Until now, flights at Zurich Airport have been permitted to depart or land until 11:00 p.m. It is also permitted to clear flight delays until 11:30 p.m. without special authorization. The Federal Council now wants to enshrine this current regime in the Aviation Act. The relevant National Council committee agrees. By a vote of 17 to 8, it decided to extend the so-called grandfather clause to the operations of the national airports in Zurich and Geneva. The National Council is deliberating on the bill to amend the Aviation Act as the first chamber. A minority of the committee opposes the amendment because they fear it could weaken noise protection.
Swiss citizens who volunteered during World War II to fight with the Resistance in France or with Italian resistance groups against fascism are to be rehabilitated. This is what the National Council wants. Now it is the Council of States’ turn. Its relevant committee agrees with the bill. The majority views the rehabilitation of Swiss volunteers as a sign of recognition for the historical contribution these individuals made in the fight for freedom and democracy. At the same time, the committee emphasizes that the ban on foreign military service still plays an important role in security and state policy today.
The Council of States is holding an extended debate on the army. The priorities set by the Federal Council regarding military modernization are well received by the relevant committee. It intends to approve the military dispatch as is—including the additional credit for the procurement of an estimated thirty F-35 fighter jets. In total, this involves commitment appropriations of approximately 3.4 billion Swiss francs. In light of the increasingly tense security situation, the committee considers it essential to enhance the army’s defense capabilities and strengthen its ability to counter the most likely threats. Proposals to forgo certain procurements and to increase funding for the defense against mini-drones were clearly rejected by the committee.
The National Council is considering the value-added tax rate for the tourism sector. According to Parliament, the hotel industry should continue to pay a lower value-added tax rate than other businesses. The special rate for lodging establishments—3.8 percent instead of 8.1 percent—is to be maintained until 2035. The Federal Council opposes the implementation of a corresponding motion for fiscal reasons. The special rate was originally introduced as a temporary measure to support the crisis-stricken hotel industry. To date, the special rate has been extended six times, most recently until 2027.
Expanding the list of safe countries of origin, denying residence permits to criminals, and tightening deportation procedures for third-country nationals with criminal records: The two chambers are addressing these and other demands during an extraordinary session on the topic of security. In the National Council, motions from the SVP, FDP, and GLP will be discussed. The Federal Council is recommending that most of these motions be rejected. In the Council of States, two SVP motions are up for debate.
The free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries is coming before Parliament. The National Council is the first chamber to deliberate on it. The majority of the relevant committee views the agreement as an opportunity to diversify Switzerland’s trade relations in the current geopolitical climate. The committee wants to add an additional article to the federal resolution. This article requires the Federal Council to adopt the provisions of the EU’s Deforestation Regulation. The agreement is not without controversy. The Greens have already announced a referendum against the proposal. And the agricultural sector is also far from satisfied. It is calling for a commitment credit in the millions as an accompanying measure to the Mercosur agreement to cushion the negative effects.
New rules on the adoption of stepchildren should be considered in a broader context. This is what the relevant Council of States committee is calling for. It therefore intends to refer the bill on simplified stepchild adoption back to the Federal Council. Accordingly, the federal government should integrate the simplified stepchild adoption provisions into the ongoing revision of the law of parentage and the Reproductive Medicine Act and submit a comprehensive package to Parliament. A minority proposes rejecting the motion to refer the bill back to the Federal Council. Another minority proposes not to consider the bill. The Council of States will now decide on the matter.
Toward the end of the session, the Council of States is debating a ban on severance pay for federal executives. This was prompted by a parliamentary initiative from former Schaffhausen Council of States member Thomas Minder (independent). Severance pay can currently be paid, for example, to department directors. In the case of voluntary resignation, however, no severance pay is provided. The Federal Council opposes a ban. Severance pay could be appropriate in certain situations but should be used sparingly, it wrote in its statement on the proposed legislative amendment. A ban could have a negative impact on the attractiveness of top executive positions within the federal government.
