On Thursday, the House of Representatives and the Senate chambers cleared up the last budget disagreements. The last sticking point was whether to retain or cut Swiss funding for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
The House of Representatives wanted to cut CHF20 million of UNRWA funding, but accepted a Senate compromise to reduce the general budget for humanitarian projects by CHF10 million without specifying where the money should be saved. The Federal Council is free to choose. However, the conditions for granting funds have been clarified.
Contributions to humanitarian aid in the Middle East will be paid in instalments with the foreign policy committees being consulted before payment. The funds must benefit exclusively the civilian population.
Another point of divergence concerned regional policy. The Senate wanted to maintain the contribution of CHF25 million to the Regional Development Fund, but the House of Representatives had called for the funding to be cut. Ultimately, a compromise solution was adopted with a cut of CHF12.5 million. This option had already been proposed by the Senate.
The two parliamentary chambers agreed to compensate for excess spending by a cut in the Rail Infrastructure Fund. Following the adaptations made, the Council of States gave the green light to an amount of CHF38 million.
Army spending included in the 2025-2027 financial plan also divided the chambers. The Senate wanted spending to grow faster than the Federal Council and to reach 1% of GDP in 2030 and not 2035, in agreement with a motion approved by Parliament. The House of Representatives was opposed to this and won the argument.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
WEF gives Crystal Award to Beckham, Yamamoto and von Fürstenberg
This content was published on
The World Economic Forum in Davos handed out awards to UNICEF ambassador David Beckham, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and women's rights activist Diane von Fürstenberg.
Swiss CEOs betting on a strong domestic market in 2025
This content was published on
Swiss business leaders are optimistic about 2025, despite a world in crisis, says a new survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
Swiss government wants spending cuts across the board
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter says government spending cuts are inevitable next year to assure a way back to a balanced budget.
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.