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On 22 June, President Guy Parmelin attended the Ministerial Conference of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in Reykjavik. The ministers of the four EFTA states commended the significant progress made towards an imminent conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement with Viet Nam. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland signed updated bilateral agricultural agreements with the Palestinian Authority. On the fringes of the ministerial conference, a working meeting took place between President Parmelin and Icelandic Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir.

The Federal Council is in favour of Switzerland hosting the 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. At the start of this year, it set out the main criteria for supporting this major sporting event. During the consultation process, the proposed planning decision was widely supported. This provides for a federal contribution of CHF 200 million. At its meeting on 19 June, the Federal Council took note of the results of the consultation and approved the dispatch for submission to Parliament.

In 2025, tourism expenditure in Switzerland and abroad continued to grow but at a slower pace than in previous years. It grew slightly more among Swiss residents travelling abroad, however. Swiss residents travelling abroad spent CHF 19.3 billion, an increase of 1.9% over 2024. In comparison, revenue from foreign visitors to Switzerland rose by 1.6% to CHF 20.5 billion. These developments negatively affected the tourism balance. While remaining positive at CHF 1.2 billion, the balance was lower than in 2024 according to initial estimates from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Federal Council acknowledges the ‘Future of protection status S’ proposal, which states that extending protection status S beyond March 2027 may continue to ensure effective protection and relieve pressure on the asylum system. The Federal Council will make a decision on this in the summer, following consultation with the relevant stakeholders. In addition, the Federal Council is considering whether to exclude Ukrainian men liable for military service from protection status S in future. At its meeting on 19 June, it also decided to give the cantons greater discretion regarding social assistance.

As part of the FDFA's periodic rotation policy and on the basis of appointments made by the Federal Council, in 2026 the following personnel changes will be made and an ambassadorial title conferred in the external network and FDFA head office in Bern.

The Federal Council intends to adjust the tariff model for the corporate radio and television fee in line with a decision by the Federal Supreme Court. The consultation on the partial revision of the Radio and Television Ordinance will open on 23 June 2026. In future, companies with higher turnover will be required to contribute proportionately more than smaller companies.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have developed an AI platform that stains tissue images from computed tomography as if they had been made from classical tissue sections. This could in the future enable non-destructive and three-dimensional analysis of pathological changes. The study was published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

In 2025 Switzerland’s final energy consumption increased by 0.2% year-on-year to 777,870 tera-joules (TJ). The main reasons for this were the colder weather compared to the previous year and the increase in aviation fuel sales.

The Federal Government Expert Group on Business Cycles has revised its growth forecast for Switzerland slightly downward. GDP is now expected to increase by 0.9% in 2026 – well below the historical average – followed by 1.6% in 2027 (March forecast: 1.0% and 1.7% respectively). [1] The crisis in the Middle East is driving up energy prices and weighing on the global economy. Uncertainty remains high.

Empa researcher Vanja Djinlev has been appointed a member of the Swiss Young Academy. The appointment recognizes his scientific achievements as well as his commitment to bridging the gap between research and society, particularly in the pursuit of greater energy justice.

The Construction Price Index recorded a rise of 0.6% between October 2025 and April 2026, reaching 100.6 points (October 2025 = 100). This result reflects an increase in building and civil engineering prices. Year on year, construction prices rose by 1.0%. These are some of the findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The fall in the number of births that began in 2022 continued in 2025, but was less pronounced than in 2024 (‒0.1%), and deaths have remained relatively stable. As a result, natural population change fell between 2024 and 2025 (‒1.0%). Switzerland also recorded fewer marriages and fewer divorces last year. These are some of the final annual results of the 2025 Vital Statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).