Bilateral III: referendum, 2026 property costs & quakes (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• The Council of States is on the third day of debates on Bilaterals III
• Today, the type of referendum will be voted on
• Spending on federal properties in 2026 is 773.8 million
• The army, heatwave and drought are also on the agenda

Key facts

• Phase → third day of debates in the Council of States
• Referendum → optional or mandatory
• Civilian properties 2026 → 773.8 million Swiss francs
• National Library in Bern → 211.7 million Swiss francs
• Embassy in London → 96 million
• Earthquake levy → up to 0.7% of the insured value
• State aid → authority independent of Comco
• Debates in the National Council → army, heatwave and drought

The Council of States has reached the third day of debates on Bilaterals III. After some decisions have already been taken, today the cantons' chamber is called upon to rule on the question of which type of referendum should apply to the new agreements with Brussels.

The choice is between an optional and a mandatory referendum. In the first case, a majority of the people is sufficient; in the second, a majority of both the people and the Cantons is required.

Wages and package of agreements

The same chamber will vote on provisions to protect wages, which provide protection against the dismissal of employee representatives. The measure is a condition set by the left for supporting the new bilateral agreements. Finally, the Council of States will have to express its position on approving the entire package of agreements.

Yesterday and on Monday, the Council of States had already agreed to supplement the safeguard clause with an incentive tax. The clause would be activated to limit excessive immigration causing serious economic and social problems. The chamber also approved the establishment in Switzerland of a state aid monitoring authority independent of Comco, a mechanism requested by the EU to prevent distortions of competition in its internal market.

Properties, army and climate

The National Council will open the session with the dispatch on the Confederation's civilian properties for 2026, which provides for expenditure of 773.8 million Swiss francs. The largest project is the renovation and expansion of the Swiss National Library in Bern, the headquarters of the Federal Office of Culture: 211.7 million Swiss francs. The complete renovation of the Swiss embassy in London is also planned, after more than 50 years in operation, at a cost of 96 million.

The People's Chamber will then discuss the mandatory contribution by property owners to a fund to repair earthquake damage. The new legislation, which requires a constitutional amendment, would allow the Confederation to levy up to 0.7% of the insured value of buildings. The Council of States had rejected the bill at first reading; the National Council's preparatory committee proposes approving it.

The agenda is rounded out by an extraordinary session on army funding and a current affairs debate on heatwave and drought. The latter will discuss interpellations asking the Federal Council how it intends to address their effects.

Operational details

The process affecting residents and businesses

To read the session without anticipating decisions, it is advisable to separate the vote on the referendum from the material effects of the new agreements. The source describes an expected vote, not the final outcome of the package. The difference between the two formulas, however, is already defined:

For those who live or work in Switzerland, this is the first concrete element to check: it is not enough to know that a referendum is being discussed; it is necessary to understand which of the two paths will be chosen. The source text does not indicate a date for a possible consultation and therefore does not make it possible to set a personal deadline.

Wage protection

Protection against the dismissal of employee representatives is a precise provision, but the source indicates neither the full group of beneficiaries nor a procedure for enforcing it. The political point is clear: the left considers it a condition for supporting the new bilateral agreements. For a worker, therefore, the news signals a possible component of the package, not a new form to submit or a right already described in detail.

The same caution applies to the safeguard clause. The incentive tax was accepted by the Council of States as a supplement to the clause, which would be activated to limit excessive immigration when this was the cause of serious economic and social problems. The source does not specify the amount, tax base, activating authority or timing: the reference cannot be turned into an estimate for families or companies.

Property and cost of living

For property owners, the indicated limit for the levy intended to cover earthquake damage is up to 0.7% of the insured value of the buildings. It is not, however, an invoice already due: on first reading, the Council of States rejected the proposal, and the preparatory committee of the National Council proposes its approval. The parliamentary stage therefore remains decisive. The reference is the insured value, not an amount that can be derived from the purchase price alone.

The 773.8 million for the Confederation's civilian properties should likewise not be automatically added to the possible levy on property owners: in the source, they are two separate dossiers. For costo della vita in Svizzera, the article does not yet offer a figure directly applicable to household budgets.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

How to follow the process, step by step

The most useful approach today is to distinguish what is being voted on from what is merely proposed. The source does not yet indicate an approved text with an effective date or a personal procedure. To get your bearings, proceed as follows.

Five practical checks

1. Bilaterals III. Check separately the outcome of the referendum, the vote on the wage provisions and the approval of the package. These are three stages of the Council of States' session; they should not be treated as a single decision that has already been finalized.

2. Work. If your situation concerns staff representatives, check the final text on protection against dismissal. The source does not indicate forms, offices or deadlines: it is not possible to derive an individual procedure from it. To read the current entries, you can consult busta paga svizzera, without attributing already operational changes to this sitting.

3. Properties. For anyone who owns a building, note the insured value, because it is the stated basis for the possible levy of up to 0,7%. Do not, however, consider that limit an amount to be paid: the proposal requires a constitutional amendment, was rejected by the Council of States at first reading and the National Council's committee proposes its approval.

4. Immigration and state aid. Follow any approval of the package and the fate of the safeguard clause. The source does not indicate when the incentive tax would take effect or how the authority independent of Comco would work; this information should not be replaced with estimates.

5. Army, heatwave and drought. Separate the extraordinary session on army funding from the current-affairs debate on interpellations addressed to the Federal Council. The text does not yet describe measures to be implemented.

This caution avoids confusing the dossier with ordinary items in the personal budget: the source does not announce changes to AVS/AHV, LPP/BVG, LAMal/KVG, VAT, direct federal tax or minimum wage. To check your salary and its impact on the budget, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: swissinfo.ch