Confederation budget, 13th AVS pension or even asylum: the menu for the winter session of the Federal Chambers will be copious.
Federal finances: More resources for the army to the detriment of international cooperation, asylum or expenses for federal personnel: under the leadership of the bourgeois camp, this is the scenario which is emerging for the development of the 2025 budget of the Confederation.
In a context of savings measures which affect all departments except the army, Parliament will be torn apart over the various budget items. The right should, however, spare agriculture.
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Asylum: Parliament will address issues relating to asylum and migration on several occasions. The “S” protection status granted to Ukrainians will be debated in the National Council at the opening of the session. Motions from the Center and the UDC, already accepted in the Council of States, aim to tighten conditions.
The theme of Ukrainian refugees will also be debated in the Council of States during the third week. And the Chamber of Cantons will also have to decide on a ban on family reunification for foreign people temporarily admitted to Switzerland. The UDC wants it, the competent committee only narrowly refused to follow.
AVS: The Council of States will look at the 13th AVS pension, accepted by the people last March. This supplement must be paid once a year from December 2026, for an annual amount of 4.2 billion francs. The Federal Council proposes to finance this additional income by an increase in VAT of 0.7 points.
The competent committee of the Council of States, in agreement on the principle of payment and introduction, considers that there is no urgency to decide on financing. Parliament must therefore take the time to carry out an in-depth analysis, taking into account the vast reform of the AVS expected for 2026. The question of financing will therefore come back to the table in the first quarter of 2025.
Falsified signatures: The Chamber of Cantons will also rule on a series of motions tabled in reaction to the affair of falsified signatures for popular initiatives. The texts signed by parliamentarians from both the right and the left call for actions, such as the introduction of an electronic signature, a strengthening of the fight against fraud or even a ban on remuneration for initials.
VAT: The Council of States could also be tempted to temporarily increase VAT by 1%, with the aim of financing the army and pensions. The Chamber will debate a motion from centrist Benedikt Würth (SG) to this effect, which has the support of left-wing elected officials, the PVL and the PLR. The Federal Council is opposed to it.
