On March 3, lawmakers in the Swiss National Council (lower house) and Council of States (upper house) returned for the 2025 spring session of parliament. Here are the top issues being discussed over the next month.
As part of the spring session in Switzerland, running between March 3 and 21, both chambers of parliament are expected to discuss a range of issues, proposals and referendums. Initially, the most important issue will be the 13th month of AHV pension, which was approved by voters at a referendum in March 2024.
This payment, similar to a 13th month of salary offered as part of some jobs in Switzerland, will be paid out from December 2026, after lawmakers voted in favour of the proposal on the first day of the session. However, while they accepted the higher pension, the question of how the benefit will be paid for remains unanswered. Various proposals are on the table, though the most likely solution remains an increase in value-added tax.
Another key task for lawmakers to complete this session is to respond to the various initiatives that now have enough valid signatures to be made into referendums. These include the Cash is Freedom initiative, which seeks to enshrine the use and issuing of paper money and coinage into the constitution. Another, the For a Future initiative, demands that inheritances and gifts worth over 50 million francs be charged a 50 percent tax - this would create Switzerland’s first nationwide system of inheritance tax.
Lawmakers are also expected to develop a response to the Service Citoyen initiative, a referendum which would require all residents of Switzerland, including citizens, holders of residence permits, of any gender, to participate in national service via the army or civilian service. In terms of a response, parliament can choose to accept the proposals, propose an alternative plan or call for the referendums to be rejected.
The 2025 spring session is also set to be the climax of efforts to scrap the so-called “marriage penalty” in Swiss taxes. Under the current system, couples who are married (whose salaries are taxed together) often pay more in tax than couples who live together but aren’t married (whose earnings are taxed separately).
Under the proposed changes, couples would be able to file their tax returns separately from one another, benefiting from lower tax rates. Many make the point that the current system is outdated as it assumes only one of the partners will work, and while some limited tax deductions exist for married couples, they do not compensate for the higher tax burden.
However, opponents note that scrapping the system will cost at least 1 billion francs a year at a time when the federal government is looking to cut its budgets. Therefore, while the plan passed the National Council by 98 votes to 93, its fate remains on a knife edge.
When it comes to finances, parliament is due to discuss plans by the Federal Council to cut healthcare costs by 250 million francs a year as part of a wider move to cap rises in health insurance. The executive argues that instead of austerity measures, massive savings can be made if more coordinated networks of healthcare are established.
However, the last time they were discussed, a majority in the Council of States argued these networks would only lead to higher costs and more bureaucracy.
While these are the most important points being discussed this spring, many other issues will also be on the agenda. These include establishing a new security database for flight passengers, family reunification laws, border and asylum policy, agriculture and climate funding, renewable energy and tobacco advertising.
Stay tuned to IamExpat to see how these issues develop and how they will affect internationals living in Switzerland!
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