Swiss voters split over VAT rise to fund 13th pension

Swiss voters are narrowly divided over a proposed VAT increase to fund a 13th state pension, according to a representative poll published by SRF. In the survey, 49% said they would reject the measure, 46% supported it and 5% were undecided.

The poll, conducted by research institute gfs.bern, reflects voters’ views on October 11. Switzerland will vote on the proposal on November 29. The government and parliament have proposed raising VAT by 0.4 percentage points to help pay for the pension supplement, which voters approved in 2024.

Taking the survey’s margin of error into account, the result amounts to a tie. Support is higher among older voters, while younger voters currently tend to oppose the increase. Views among people in the middle age group are evenly split. Political scientist Lukas Golder of gfs.bern described the divide as a clear conflict between generations.

Support varies by party preference. A majority of supporters of the Social Democrats, Greens, Centre Party and Green Liberals favour the measure. Among people close to the Liberals, 54% oppose it, while opposition rises to 68% among Swiss People’s Party supporters. People without a party affiliation also lean against the proposal, with 62% opposed.

Arguments against the increase currently have broader support. The most persuasive is that AHV funding gaps should be addressed through structural reforms rather than higher taxes and levies. On the supporting side, 54% consider a VAT increase fair because it would involve all generations in funding the pension. The argument that it would be a reasonable compromise did not win majority support, despite having the strongest influence on voting intentions.

Views remain unsettled: 46% of respondents said they were somewhat in favour or against the proposal, or did not know how they would vote. The campaign has only just begun, so opinions could still shift. Although voters often move towards the positions of the government and parliament on such proposals, the current deadlock and stronger arguments on the opposing side present a difficult starting point. Concerns about purchasing power are another challenge, while support among voters over 65 could help the proposal; this group votes at an above-average rate.