The UDC wants to stop the destruction of Switzerland

Context

TL;DR

• The UDC met on 17 October 2026 in Bulle.
• No to the 13th AVS pension financed by an increase in VAT.
• The people will vote on the items on 29 November.
• Delegates say yes to spouses and war materiel.

Key facts

• Location → Bulle, canton of Fribourg
• Delegates → approximately 420
• SVP president → Marcel Dettling
• AHV recommendation → no, 290 votes to 3
• Official candidate → Céline Amaudruz
• Voting date → November 29
• Vote on married couples → 274 in favor, 9 against, 3 abstentions
• Vote on war materiel → 271 in favor, 16 against, 6 abstentions

On October 17, 2026, the SVP delegates' assembly held in Bulle, in the canton of Fribourg, focused on Swiss sovereignty, relations with the EU and the issues on the ballot. The party president, Schwyz National Councillor Marcel Dettling, attacked the left and those who, in his view, threaten self-determination and push for closer ties with the EU.

We must stop the destruction of Switzerland.

Before approximately 420 delegates, Dettling linked the SVP's significant gains in the cantons since the 2023 federal elections to concerns about uncontrolled immigration, chaos in the asylum sector and the country's future. He then criticized the Bilateral III agreements with the EU and the parliamentarians who, in his view, would like to prevent a popular vote, also including Federal Councillors Cassis and Jans in his criticism.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti was also present at the assembly. He argued for the need to defend a united Switzerland, direct democracy and institutions as factors of stability.

The post-Parmelin period

Discussion among the delegates also focused on what comes after Parmelin and on choosing the right person, man or woman, French-speaking or German-speaking Swiss. Céline Amaudruz is so far the only official candidate present in Bulle. SVP National Councillor Nicolas Kolly from the host canton was mentioned; he is still considering it, while a decision from Zurich's Natalie Rickli is also awaited. The final ticket must include at least one French-speaking Swiss, while the decision will be up to the Federal Assembly.

Voting recommendations

For November 29, the SVP recommended voting no on financing the 13th AHV pension through an increase in VAT: 290 votes to 3. Nicolas Kolly argued that the Confederation should make better use of the money entrusted to it by the Swiss and said that the Federal Council should have financed the 13th pension through savings in international cooperation and the asylum sector. Pierre-Yves Maillard said he would prefer higher taxation of high incomes and stressed that 80% of the 13th pension is financed by the AHV fund.

For the Centre Party's initiative on fair taxation for married couples, the recommendation was yes: 274 votes in favor, 9 against and 3 abstentions. The amendments to the federal law on war materiel received a yes vote, with 271 votes in favor, 16 against and 6 abstentions; Marc Jost spoke against them, invoking neutrality. Finally, the Central Committee had recommended voting no on the fireworks initiative.

Operational details

How to read the decisions of 29 November

The Bulle assembly produced political recommendations, not the outcome at the ballot box. For those living in Switzerland, the distinction is the first practical point: on 29 November, voters will vote on the items mentioned in the report, while the reported tallies describe the UDC delegates' vote. The party's position is not equivalent to the popular result: the text presents those numbers as the assembly's vote and 29 November as the date on which the people are called upon to vote.

The debate over AVS funding

The most concrete issue concerns the 13th AVS pension and its financing. The UDC is calling for a no vote on the increase in VAT and, through Nicolas Kolly, proposes seeking savings in international cooperation and the asylum sector. Pierre-Yves Maillard shifts the debate toward higher taxation of high incomes; at the same time, he points out that 80% of the pension is already financed by the AVS fund.

These are three points of reference that should be kept separate: the increase in VAT opposed by the UDC, the savings indicated by Kolly and the taxation of high incomes supported by Maillard. In the report, the first is the recommendation approved by the delegates; the other two are proposals put forward in the debate. For voters, the point to assess is therefore the financing method indicated in the question and the political debate over the resources to be allocated to the pension.

For the other items, the key to interpreting them is different. The Centre Party's initiative is presented through the principle of fair taxation for spouses and an end to discrimination based on marriage; the UDC's position is to vote yes. Regarding the Federal Act on War Materiel, the delegates approved the amendments, while Marc Jost invoked neutrality. On the fireworks initiative, the Central Committee opted for no the previous evening. The practical information provided by the report for these matters is the voting recommendation.

The European issue follows a separate track. The Bilateral Agreements III with the EU appear in Dettling's political attack; the passage on the recommendations of 29 November, by contrast, deals with AVS, spouses, war materiel and fireworks. This separation helps make sense of the day without conflating the debate over closer ties with the EU and the voting recommendations on the listed questions. The same logic applies to the post-Parmelin period: the discussion of the candidacies concerns the future political decision, while 29 November concerns the items put to the people.

Key points

Preparing for the November 29 vote

Preparation can begin with the date indicated by the source: November 29. The practical step is to separate the questions and read the UDC's recommendation for each one, without turning the delegates' vote into the popular result.

A five-step sequence

1. Set the date of the vote and identify the question on the 13th AHV pension. 2. For AHV, compare the question on the VAT increase with the alternatives mentioned in the debate: savings in international cooperation and asylum, or higher taxation of high incomes. 3. Examine the Centre Party initiative dedicated to fair taxation for spouses and ending marriage discrimination, with the UDC recommendation to vote yes. 4. For the amendments to the Federal Act on War Materiel, keep the delegates' yes vote distinct from Marc Jost's opposing intervention, based on an appeal to neutrality. 5. Consider the fireworks initiative separately, for which the Central Committee recommended voting no.

This outline avoids two confusions. The first is between the party's choice and that of the voters: the UDC has adopted voting guidelines, but the people are called upon to vote on November 29. The second is between the issues submitted to the polls and the political debate over Bilateral Agreements III with the EU. The report links the latter to defending self-determination and the possibility of a popular vote; in the section devoted to recommendations, however, it deals with the items already listed.

For those following the succession after Parmelin, the same rule means distinguishing between officially announced candidacies, names still under consideration, and the final institutional decision. Céline Amaudruz is the only official candidate present in Bulle; Nicolas Kolly is still thinking about it, Natalie Rickli still has to decide, and at least one French-speaking candidate will have to appear on the final ticket. The choice will then fall to the Federal Assembly. This dossier runs in parallel to the November 29 vote and should not be used to automatically interpret the individual ballots.

For the pension topic, consult AVS e rendita.

Source: rsi.ch