A 13th pension in December, three votes taking shape, and a seat opening in the government.

Week 41 · 2026. Filed late, on 15 October 2026, from the record of that week. The government made its case for funding the 13th pension through VAT, two referendums were handed in, unemployment held at 3.0 percent, and a federal councillor said he would leave.

The week

The government argues for higher VAT to pay for the 13th pension

On 29 November voters decide whether VAT rises by 0.4 points from 2028, taking the standard rate from 8.1 to 8.5 percent, to raise about CHF 1.5 billion a year. The first 13th AHV/AVS pension is paid in December 2026 whatever the result. Only citizens vote, but everyone pays VAT.

Source: SWI swissinfo.ch

Unemployment stays at 3.0 percent

140,480 people were registered as unemployed in September, slightly fewer than in August but 5.4 percent more than a year earlier. The seasonally adjusted rate is 3.1 percent. If your contract is ending, register with the regional employment office at the latest on your first day without work.

Source: SECO

Guy Parmelin will leave the Federal Council at the end of 2026

The president and economics minister announced on 2 October that he is stepping down after 11 years. Parliament elects his successor, expected to come from his party, the SVP, on 9 December.

Source: blue News

A referendum is filed to keep the ban on new nuclear plants

Several parties handed in more than 131,800 signatures on 6 October against lifting the ban on building new nuclear power plants. The vote could come as early as 28 February 2027.

Source: Le News

Unions force a vote on minimum wages

About 100,000 signatures were filed on 7 October against a law that would let wages in collective labour agreements override cantonal minimum wages, as in Geneva or Neuchâtel. If you work in a low-wage sector in one of those cantons, the outcome concerns you directly.

Source: The Local Switzerland

The city of Zurich buys 64 flats in Seebach for affordable housing

The buildings, from 1952, house about 156 people. The purchase is part of the city's goal that a third of rental flats should be non-profit. Non-profit flats have waiting lists and their own rules, so ask early if you want to apply.

Source: The Local Switzerland

This week if you're arriving

  • On 29 November there are four federal votes: VAT for the 13th pension, fireworks, the taxation of married couples, and the War Materiel Act. If you are not Swiss, you will see the posters but not the ballot.
  • If your job ends, register with the regional employment office (RAV/ORP) at the latest on your first day without work.
  • The health authorities expect the flu season from mid-December. If you are in a risk group, ask your doctor or pharmacy about the vaccine in good time.

City in focus: Bern

  • The average 2027 premium in the canton of Bern rises 5.4 percent to CHF 420.20 a month.
  • The autumn session ended on 2 October. Parliament returns for the winter session and elects a new federal councillor on 9 December.
  • Bern is the federal city, not the capital: the constitution names none.
  • The Aare is too cold now, and the arcades are the point: you can walk the old town in rain without an umbrella.

A quiet note

Switzerland votes about four times a year, and every time the posters go up, the country argues with itself in public, politely. If you cannot vote yet, it is easy to feel like a guest at someone else's dinner. Listen anyway. The posters tell you what people fear and what they hope for, faster than any guidebook. Understanding that is the first kind of citizenship, and it does not need a passport.