Economy Minister Guy Parmelin (SVP) is chairing the Federal Council in 2026. This is after earning praise in November for negotiating a reduction in the punitive tariffs imposed by the US on Swiss imports. Parmelin was elected by the joint chambers of the Federal Assembly on 10 December, receiving 203 out of 210 valid votes – an excellent result that illustrates how much respect the right-wing conservative politician from Vaud also enjoys among the left-wing parties. This will be Parmelin’s second time chairing the Federal Council as President of the Swiss Confederation, having previously held the role back in 2021. (MUL)
A new deal could not have come soon enough for Swiss exporters after the Trump administration’s decision to slap a 39 per cent tariff on Swiss goods. After hard negotiation, Berne managed to get the tariff cut to 15 per cent in November. Hailed as a positive breakthrough, this lower rate is still less than ideal for both the Swiss economy and US consumers. Plus, there is the elephant in the room: a group of Swiss executives met Donald Trump in the Oval Office earlier in the month, bearing gifts that included a gold bar worth over 100,000 Swiss francs. Their audience with the US president has been decried at home as unseemly, undignified and verging on bribery. (MUL)
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland has stuck to the letter of the law regarding its strict rules on arms exports, even stopping war materiel exported to Germany years previously from being delivered to Kyiv. But parliament now wants to relax these restrictions, voting in its December 2025 session to allow Swiss arms manufacturers to deliver weapons to certain Western countries even in times of armed conflict. The decision is mainly a boost for Switzerland’s arms industry, although the direct export of weapons to Ukraine remains prohibited. Voters are likely to have the last word, after a broad alliance of left-wing parties announced a referendum on the matter. (MUL)
Violent crime against women is high in Switzerland, even compared to other countries. The federal government has spoken of an “alarming number of femicides”. However, the National Council voted in December against increasing the amount of money set aside to tackle violence against women. This sparked public fury, with over 250,000 people signing an online petition within 24 hours as a flood of angry emails virtually paralysed the IT system in the Federal Palace. The Council of States subsequently endorsed the additional funding, prompting the National Council to vote in favour at the second time of asking. (MUL)
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