Parliament has completed the 2025 budget. Both Chambers accepted the conciliation conference’s proposal on Thursday. The army will receive more resources, an amount offset in particular by cuts in international cooperation and personnel.
If the Chambers quickly agreed to increase arms spending by 530 million compared to the Federal Council’s version, to 2.7 billion francs, they were divided on how to compensate for this sum. Opinions were particularly divergent on the cut to be made in international cooperation.
The National initially wanted to cut 250 million. The Council of States had developed a broader compensation concept, which only provided for a cut of 30 million francs in this area.
The Chambers finally agreed on a cut of 110 million, divided between bilateral cooperation (-55 million), economic cooperation (-25 million) and contributions to international organizations (-30 million). The left and the PVL denounced the scale of this cut and an unbalanced budget.
The two Councils also agreed on the speed of growth in army spending, which should reach 1% of GDP in 2032. National wanted this to be the case in 2030.
Spared agriculture
The Chambers also differed on extra-family reception. The National wanted to increase this item by 6.9 million, the Council of States wanted to cut it by 10 million. In the end, it was the Federal Council’s version that prevailed.
The contribution to the regional policy fund was also a stumbling block. Arguing that this fund was sufficiently well endowed, the Federal Council had renounced a payment in 2025, a position followed by the Council of States. The National wanted to maintain a contribution of 12.5 million. In the end, 6 million will be paid.
The Chambers, however, agreed to spare agriculture. They approved an increase of nearly 42 million francs in order to maintain direct payments at the same level as in 2024, at around 2.8 billion for 2025. They also increased the amounts dedicated to promoting sales of agricultural products. (+4.8 million). Parliament has also provided, on a one-off basis, 10 million francs for vaccines against blue tongue disease.
Staff cuts
Federal staff will have to make an effort. Parliament approved a cross-cut of 40 million in spending on federal personnel. The envelope for salary measures will be reduced by 30 million.
The budget respects the debt brake, which was welcomed by Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter and the bourgeois camp. The latter was also satisfied with the increase in spending on the army.
ats/edel
Local
Swiss
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