The shift in Swiss domestic politics

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Swiss domestic politics has shifted in ways that affect the canton's future. The Swiss People's Party, which opposes closer ties with the European Union and favours restrictions on immigration, has been the largest party in the National Council since 1999 and increased its share in the federal elections of October 2023.¹ The parties of the centre and the left, which support the bilateral path with the European Union, together still hold a majority on most European questions, although the balance is narrow. The initiative against a Switzerland of ten million was rejected in June 2026 with 54.8 per cent of the votes, while the vote on the package of agreements with the Union will test the balance again.

In the canton of Zug, the political landscape is dominated by the centre-right parties, which support the canton's business-friendly policies. The Swiss People's Party is strong in the canton as well, while the Alternative – die Grünen and the Social Democrats together hold almost a quarter of the seats in the cantonal parliament.² The consensus in favour of low taxes and openness to international companies, which has been broad for decades, is being challenged by the debates on housing, growth and inequality. Local elections and votes in the coming decade will show whether the consensus holds.

Notes

SRF, "Wähleranteile waren falsch – Bund verrechnet sich: FDP liegt jetzt doch vor der Mitte", 25 October 2023, srf.ch: corrected SVP share 27.9 per cent (initially reported as 28.6 per cent) in the National Council elections of 22 October 2023; 2019: 25.6 per cent, SVP largest party with 62 seats (en.wikipedia.org, "2023 Swiss federal election"). ↩
SRF, "Wahlen Kanton Zug – Kantonsparlament: Die Mitte bleibt die stärkste Kraft", 2 October 2022, srf.ch: cantonal parliament elections of 2 October 2022, Die Mitte 19 seats (−2), SVP 18 (unchanged), FDP 18 (+1), Alternative – die Grünen 11 (unchanged), SP 8 (−1), GLP 6 (+2) of 80; the centre-right parties hold 55 seats. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

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The shift in Swiss domestic politics

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