Politics · Switzerland · 4 hrs ago
Swiss parliamentary finance committee rejects 2027 federal budget
Switzerland’s parliamentary finance committee voted to reject the 2027 federal budget by 15 votes to 9, with one abstention.
The committee wants the budget sent back to the Federal Council, the country’s government, but Parliament will make the decision.
The disagreement reflects clashing demands over spending priorities, including climate measures, farming, military costs and aid to Ukraine.
The committee did not reach agreement on how to balance those demands, even though the government’s draft complies with Switzerland’s debt brake.
Parliament faces more than 100 proposed changes when it debates the budget during the winter session.
If the National Council and Council of States reject the budget, Switzerland will need a temporary budget for the first quarter of 2027.
Parliament would then debate a revised full budget in spring.
The National Council’s finance committee rejected the Swiss federal budget proposal for 2027 by 15 votes to 9, with one abstention.
The committee recommends sending the budget back to the Federal Council.
The rejection reflected competing demands, including calls for more climate spending and for tighter control of federal expenditure.
The National Council is due to debate the budget during the winter session, with more than 100 proposed amendments before it.
If the budget is rejected again, Switzerland may need a temporary budget for the first quarter of 2027.
- Who
- The National Council’s finance committee rejected the proposal. The committee recommends that the National Council send it back to the Federal Council.
- What
- The committee rejected the federal budget proposal for 2027 by 15 votes to 9, with one abstention.
- When
- The decision was reported on November 12, 2026. The budget debate is scheduled for the winter session.
- Where
- Switzerland.
- Why
- Committee members could not reconcile competing demands. The SVP sought stronger action on spending growth, while the Greens opposed climate-related cuts.
SVP
Greens
Budget priorities
SVP
The SVP said the proposal did not address spending growth firmly enough and sought savings in asylum and development aid.
Greens
The Greens opposed cuts to climate spending and called for concrete measures against the climate crisis.
Reason for rejecting the budget
SVP
The SVP said the government had set the wrong priorities.
Greens
The Greens said climate cuts were unacceptable after the 2026 heatwave.
The finance committee rejected the 2027 budget proposal by 15 votes to 9, with one abstention.
The proposal was due to be considered by the Council of States’ finance committee.
The National Council was due to debate the budget and consider more than 100 amendments.
A first vote in the National Council was scheduled.
A temporary budget would be needed if the budget were rejected by both chambers, or rejected a second time by the National Council.
- Committee vote
- 15 against, 9 in favour, 1 abstention
- Budget estimate
- 90.1 billion Swiss francs for 2027, according to NZZ
- Amendments
- More than 100 proposals before the National Council
- Temporary budget period
- First quarter of 2027
- Budget-rule position
- The Federal Council’s draft complied with the debt brake and had 167 million francs of room for manoeuvre, according to Watson
4 sources
Nein zum Budget – Warum das Budget an einer unheiligen Allianz scheiterte
Nationalratskommission sagt Nein zum Bundesbudget für 2027
Droht ein Schweizer «Shutdown»? Eine unheilige Allianz im Nationalrat stellt sich gegen das Budget 2027 des Bundesrates
What people are saying
After the hot summer of 2026, this is not acceptable.
The Federal Council's budget has not convinced.
That is why we are committed to compromise.