The week in Switzerland
Dear Swiss Abroad,
Revolutions are rare in Switzerland. And this week’s overview of news doesn't suggest otherwise. From a poll ahead of 2027 federal elections to debates on digital issues and security, the pace of change once again suggests continuity rather than rupture.
Happy reading!
A poll by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC, Swissinfo’s parent company) ahead of the October 2027 elections indicates no big shifts in the balance of power between the main parties. The right-wing Swiss People’s Party remains well ahead with 29.9% of voter support; currently, it would even improve on its 2023 score. The left-wing Social Democrats also seem to be consolidating their second place with 19.3%, their highest support level in almost 20 years.
Traditional centre-right parties, however, continue their slow decline. The Radical-Liberal Party would currently fall to 13.3% of the vote, while the Centre Party would drop to 12.6%. Importantly, the Centre remains behind its Radical-Liberal rival in a race for third place that is being closely watched in Bern; in the long-term, the outcome could influence the allocation of seats in the governing Federal Council.
Another finding from the poll is that ecological parties don’t seem to be benefiting much from the return of climate concerns. Despite the heat, drought and fires of summer 2026, the Green Party have risen only slightly to 10.3%, while the Liberal Greens are backed by 7.1% of voters. Both parties at least seem to have halted their decline, but without regaining the momentum that carried them through the two previous elections.
In terms of the population’s priorities, the issue of rising health insurance premiums comes out well ahead, according to the survey. This is followed by climate change and asylum policy, which complete the trio of main challenges cited by respondents. Immigration, which was still a dominant element of debates ahead of the 2023 federal elections, now appears less central to voters.
Switzerland wants to do more to protect minors on social media and big digital platforms. This week, the government presented the outlines of legislation to impose new obligations on tech giants, such as boosting mechanisms for reporting abusive content, increasing transparency and taking more steps to protect young users.
The most radical option – an outright ban on social media for minors – has been ruled out. While several other countries have chosen or are considering such stricter moves, the Swiss government is against a systematic age verification obligation or a general ban on young users, deeming such an approach difficult to implement and problematic from a data protection perspective.
This choice reflects a certain traditional element of the Swiss political approach. Rather than banning outright, authorities are in favour of increasing the responsibilities of the platforms themselves. The project thus focuses more on prevention, transparency and protection mechanisms than on general restrictions on users.
That said, Switzerland is still part of an international trend towards more digital regulation. While it was long in favour of a self-regulation approach to major platforms, it now recognises that social media can have significant consequences for young users. The debate has become less about the need to act and more about how to strike a balance between protecting minors and individual freedoms.
This week also saw a new episode in the ongoing soap opera surrounding Gianni Infantino. An investigation published by British media claims that the FIFA president benefited from various undeclared financial advantages. These revelations quickly made headlines in the international press and reignited criticism of the Swiss official.
According to the revelations, the advantages come to over $1.76 million (CHF1.44 million). Journalists also raised the question of offices rented by FIFA in Trump Tower in New York, but which allegedly remained largely unused. The latest reports fuel fresh questions about the organisation’s management as well as the ties between Infantino and Donald Trump’s inner circle.
Meanwhile the accusations add to an already long list of controversies. Since this summer’s World Cup in the US, criticism has mounted against what many see as an excessive proximity between Infantino and Trump. The personal intervention by the FIFA president to overturn a red card given to an American player, as well as his plans to partially privatise certain FIFA activities, notably caused a stir.
Despite the repeated controversies, Infantino retains solid support within world football. The expansion of competitions and FIFA’s strong revenue growth have strengthened his position with many national federations; and with the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for March in Morocco, nothing suggests that these new revelations will seriously dent his chances of securing a new term.
People in Switzerland still feel safe, but slightly less so than before. According to the Crime Survey 2025 by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the University of St Gallen, crime rose between 2022 and 2025, while the sense of security declined. At night, 83.1% of respondents said they still feel safe in their neighbourhood; three years ago it was 87.6%.
The increase in crime is particularly marked in the area of fraud and scams. Nearly 16% of respondents report having been victims of fraud in the past 12 months, compared with 8.4% in the previous survey. Property crimes are also on the rise, both in police statistics and among cases which are not reported to authorities.
Meanwhile more people now believe that police presence in public spaces is insufficient, and fears of falling victim to crime on the street are growing. That said, researchers warn against painting the situation overly dramatically. Switzerland continues to be perceived as a safe place, while trust in the police remains high. Rather, the study shows less a big slippage than a slow erosion of a sense of security long taken for granted.
The week ahead
Campaigning ahead of the federal votes on November 29 will pick up steam, with several press conferences scheduled in Bern, notably for the Centre Party’s initiative to reform tax rules for married couples, as well as an initiative to restrict fireworks.
On Monday, Switzerland will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Gotthard road tunnel fire, which claimed 11 lives. The disaster had a profound impact on the country and led to several measures to strengthen safety in Alpine tunnels.
On Tuesday, the Federal Office for Civil Protection will present a new version of Alertswiss, incorporating easy-to-read language. The aim is to make the emergency information channel more accessible to people with difficulty understanding complex texts.
On Wednesday, parliament buildings will host the second session for people with disabilities organised by Pro Infirmis. As with the first edition, people with disabilities will debate in the House of Representatives chamber to make their concerns heard in Swiss political debate.
Translated from French, sub-edited by Domhnall O’Sullivan
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