Switzerland to hold optional referendum on EU package Says Federal Council

The Swiss Federal Council plans to hold an optional referendum on a new package of EU agreements to maintain political continuity and give Parliament and the cantons more flexibility.

Meeting in Bern on April 30, the Federal Council reaffirmed its December 2024 decision on how the agreements should be structured for approval, Caliber.Az reports, citing Swiss media.

It will submit four separate federal decrees for referendum: one covering the stabilisation of bilateral relations and three others addressing developments in food safety, electricity, and health. The Council stated that this structure adheres to the constitutional requirement that subjects put to a referendum remain consistent in content.

The decision follows months of deliberation, including a comprehensive review of negotiation outcomes, legal opinions, and consultations with the cantons and parliamentary foreign affairs committees. The Council concluded that an optional referendum represents the most widely supported and constitutionally appropriate route.

This approach reflects established precedent from previous EU-related accords, including Bilaterals I and II, even though the current package involves more dynamic legislative alignment than in past agreements. Citing previous assessments—such as the 2004 conclusion that similar EU treaties did not fundamentally alter Switzerland’s governmental structure—the Council said the decision is in keeping with long-standing policy and legal interpretations.

The Federal Council also referred to the 2012 popular vote that rejected the initiative ‘Staatsverträge vors Volk’ ("International agreements: let the people have their say"). With 75.3% of voters opposing mandatory referendums on international treaties, the government maintains that an optional referendum remains both a politically sound and democratically legitimate choice.

Officials underscored that this option gives Parliament and the cantons the greatest possible latitude to shape the process, particularly concerning the domestic implications of the agreements, such as wage protection and immigration policy. Parliament will ultimately determine the final form of the referendum during its deliberations.

Amid a tense global landscape, the Federal Council said the package represents a pragmatic step to reinforce Switzerland’s stable and reliable relationship with the EU and its neighbours. It emphasised that this does not signal a departure from the country’s traditional bilateral approach, but rather a focused enhancement of existing cooperation.

The agreements are expected to be initialled in Bern in May. A formal consultation process on the draft dispatch will begin before the summer recess, alongside the release of translated versions of the agreements.

The Council’s decision on the structure and nature of the referendum will be incorporated into the consultation bill and serve as the basis for the final proposal submitted to Parliament.

By Aghakazim Guliyev