Thousands march in Lausanne against Vaud public-sector budget cuts for 2027

The march through Lausanne

Several thousand people marched through central Lausanne on 5 November to protest cuts to the Vaud public service. The procession left the Montbenon park around 18:30 and headed for the Place du Château, the seat of the cantonal government. Police and the Keystone news agency put the number of participants at between 6,000 and 8,000, while the organising unions, SSP, FSF and SUD, claim more than 15,000. Alongside civil servants, many students and upper secondary pupils joined the march to oppose the austerity measures. Chants called for money for the public service and a tax on the wealthy, and placards urged the cantonal government to stop the damage. According to 20 Minuten, the march passed off calmly.

Police and Keystone, low estimate6,000

Police and Keystone, high estimate8,000

Unions, organisers' claim (more than)15,000

Autumn 2025 march (about)20,000

Police and Keystone, low estimate

6000 people

Police and Keystone, high estimate

8000 people

Unions, organisers' claim (more than)

15000 people

Autumn 2025 march (about)

20000 people

Data from the article text

What the 2027 budget contains

The unions want the savings planned in the 2027 cantonal budget withdrawn. They ask the government to draw on reserves and extraordinary revenue to cover the expected deficit. The savings affect every department. A first version of the 2027 budget, presented in September, showed a deficit of 356 million francs, made up of savings of 65 million francs and the release of reserves of 440 million francs. After voters accepted the '12%' tax initiative on 27 September, the Conseil d'Etat revised the budget. The deficit stays the same, but additional cuts of 100 million francs and new extraordinary revenue of 172 million francs were added. The savings were first announced at 65 million francs and have since been fixed at 165 million, compared with more than 300 million francs last year. The draft is with the finance committee of the Grand Conseil, and plenary debate is scheduled to begin on 1 December and may run until the Christmas break.

Lower turnout than in 2025

The turnout is well below the autumn 2025 mobilisation, when about 20,000 people marched in Lausanne against the first savings plan. RTS attributes the smaller crowd partly to the savings, which are half as large this year. Last year the state had planned a 0.7 percent crisis contribution on salaries and backed down under union pressure. This year salaries have been spared. On Wednesday, 4 November, the government announced full indexation of salaries from 1 January for staff of the cantonal administration, the CHUV hospital and the parapublic sector. According to 20 Minuten, the indexation follows the 1.5 percent inflation rate for October.

Political context and next steps

Cantonal elections are less than four months away, which RTS cites as a reason the government wants to avoid a repeat of last year's tension. That tension included heated scenes and deputies being stopped as they left the Grand Conseil. The unions say they will not ease the pressure. Their mobilisation targets cuts in health, training and social insurance, among other areas. The next decisive step is the plenary budget debate, which the Grand Conseil has scheduled from 1 December.