Swiss EU treaty vote unlikely before 2028

A public vote on Switzerland’s treaty package with the European Union is now unlikely before 2028, SRF reports, after the Council of States set aside no time to reconcile its position with the National Council.

The National Council plans to debate the package throughout the winter session, adding extra working sessions. Katja Christ, who will preside over the chamber in December, said the agenda was already extremely full, including budget discussions and elections to the Federal Council and the Federal Supreme Court.

Christ said the National Council hoped to complete its first reading early in the session’s third week. But even if it does, Parliament will not be able to pass the package during the winter session because the Council of States has not scheduled time for the next stage of deliberations.

Council of States President Stefan Engler said the chamber’s agenda was overloaded with the budget, army financing and elections. He said there was no room for discussions to resolve differences over the bilateral agreements.

That rules out a referendum in 2027, SRF reports. The latest possible voting date that year is in June, ahead of the federal elections in autumn. The Federal Chancellery confirmed that a vote on the package could therefore take place no earlier than 2028.

The delay has brought relief to opponents of the package. Manuel Strupler, the Swiss People’s Party’s campaign chief, said the treaties should not be pushed through without proper parliamentary debate and that the public needed time to understand their potential effects. The package is expected to be a significant issue in the 2027 election campaign and beyond.