News

Switzerland is to take over the chairmanship of the Euro–African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process) this year. It will succeed Nigeria in leading this forum, which brings together almost 60 countries from Europe, North, West and Central Africa. This year, the forum is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Primary care doctors rate the overall performance of the Swiss health system as good or very good. Almost eight in ten doctors are quite to very satisfied with their jobs, although half report feeling very or extremely stressed. These are the findings of an international survey conducted in ten countries under the aegis of the Commonwealth Fund.

Access to apprenticeship places in Switzerland differs significantly depending on where young people live. This is shown by a new study conducted by the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training SFUVET. It sheds light on the still little-known structure of regional apprenticeship markets. Around 95 per cent of young people have access to more than 100 of the roughly 250 apprenticeship pathways in Switzerland when searching for a training place.

Swiss foreign trade posted increases in both directions of trade in 2025. Exports rose by 1.4% to CHF 287.0 billion, a new record. Having posted negative figures in the two previous years, imports rose by 4.5% to CHF 232,7 billion. This is the second-highest value ever recorded. The trade surplus amounted to CHF 54.3 billion.

The website of the Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has been given a makeover. The site has been modernised and adapted to current technical and design standards. The website is still available at www.estv.admin.ch. Saved links will be redirected to the new website.

The Federal Council is responding to the dramatic situation in Haiti. On 28 January, it took the decision to join the EU sanctions aimed at curbing gang violence. This extends the existing Ordinance on measures concerning Haiti. The new measures come into force at 11pm on 28 January.

At its meeting on 28 January, the Federal Council adopted its Anti-Corruption Strategy 2026–29. The strategy sets priorities for fighting corruption in areas of the Federal Administration that are particularly exposed and present an increased risk, and for reducing the vulnerability of Swiss businesses to corruption abroad. The strategy is mainly intended for the Federal Administration but also for target groups outside the Federal Administration.

On 28 January, the Federal Council appointed Professor Tanja Zimmermann to a further four-year term as director of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). This term will run from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2030.

Financial support should also be provided for subscription and foundation publications when they are delivered by private providers. Currently, this only applies when they are delivered by Swiss Post. At its meeting on 28 January 2026, the Federal Council initiated the consultation procedure on the partial revision of the Postal Services Act.

At its meeting on 28 January, the Federal Council approved the deployment of the Armed Forces in a supporting role to assist the civilian authorities with security measures during the G7 summit to be held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from 15 to 17 June. This deployment, which is subsidiary in nature, complements the security measures put in place by the civilian authorities. Parliament will vote on the deployment at its next session in March.

At its meeting on 28 January, the Federal Council confirmed Switzerland's intention to organise a summit on artificial intelligence (AI) in Geneva in 2027. A final decision will be taken at the next AI summit in Delhi in February.

The Federal Council is committed to better protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) persons against hate crimes and violence. To this end, it adopted the first National Action Plan at its meeting on 28 January 2026. The plan has three scopes of action: support and protection for victims, prevention of hate crime, and monitoring acts of violence.