Parliament approves multi-billion Swiss Covid aid package
Heated debated and compromises marked the discussions in parliament about amendments to the Covd law.
Keystone/Peter Schneider
Companies and individuals affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will be able to benefit from additional financial support of about CHF12 billion ($13 billion).
This content was published on
1 minute
swissisnfo.ch/urs
Español
es
COVID-19: Parlamento suizo aprueba ayuda multimillonaria
On Thursday, both the House of Representatives and the Senate signed off on funds for emergency aid, compensation for short-time work and unemployment schemes.
This is CHF2 billion more than the government had proposed. Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said the latest decisions would cause annual deficit of at least CHF30 billion this year.
Over the past nearly three weeks, parliamentarians haggled over special conditions for potential beneficiaries of government aid, including event organisers and sports clubs as well as one person companies and low-income earners.
A special clause was added to the Covid law, allowing the government to invest in the production of medical goods, notably vaccines.
Only a minority of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party in the House voted against the compromise solutions. The Senate approved them unanimously.
The amended Covid legislation and the government’s policy were among the main issues of the current spring session which is due to end on Friday.
The law will be put to a nationwide vote in June after campaigners collected enough signatures to force a referendum.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Poll: right-wing Swiss People’s Party enjoys growing support among population
This content was published on
If national elections had been held in Switzerland last month, the right-wing Swiss People's Party would have won, and increased its share of votes by 2% compared to the 2023 federal elections.
This content was published on
Swiss Black Friday revenues failed to live up to retail expectations. But sales throughout the week proved more successful.
This content was published on
The Swiss army will have CH 530 million more than expected for armaments investments after a parliamentary chamber approved the increase.
This content was published on
Swiss citizens could have access to an e-ID from 2026 as parliament has agreed to the idea in principle despite still having to iron out some minor issues.
Switzerland mulls S status restrictions for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Switzerland’s parliament wants in future to restrict the issuance of Ukrainian S permits to refugees fleeing parts of the war-torn country.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.