Climate activists disrupt Swiss minister Albert Rösti's summer media outing in Lucerne

Protest disrupts summer tradition

Swiss Federal Councillor Albert Rösti's third annual summer outing with parliamentary correspondents was met with loud opposition on Wednesday. As Rösti began a walk from Lucerne station to the Swiss Museum of Transport, around a dozen activists from the Drop-Kollektiv surrounded the group, blowing whistles, throwing confetti, and chanting slogans. "Rösti, Rösti, we won't let ourselves be roasted," they shouted, accusing the environment minister of inadequate climate policy. The protest continued for the entire half-hour walk along the lake promenade, with police escorting the group.

That is part of our democracy. Everyone is allowed to express their opinion.

Rösti had intended to showcase his department's work on environmentally friendly rail transport, including the long-awaited through station for Lucerne now part of the "Transport 45" project. Instead, the event became a test of composure as activists denounced his policies as a violation of human rights.

Rösti's climate policy defense

Once inside the museum, Rösti addressed the criticism directly. He acknowledged the severity of the current heatwave, saying climate change had "manifested massively at the moment," but insisted the Federal Council was not inactive. He pointed to his work on a new CO₂ law, implementation of the Climate and Innovation Act, and participation in international conferences.

Naturally, the consequences of climate change are enormously noticeable, especially right now. But the Federal Council is not doing nothing.

Rösti also repeated a familiar argument: Switzerland accounts for roughly one per mille of global CO₂ emissions. "The whole world has to join in," he said, adding that major emitters were undermining efforts through armed conflicts.

Air conditioning as individual responsibility

As the afternoon turned hot and humid after a thunderstorm, journalists asked how the minister copes with temperatures above 30 degrees. Rösti admitted he finds such heat "difficult" and recommended cool mountain inns and lake swims. On air conditioning, he drew a clear line: installation is a matter of personal responsibility, not a state task. He would oppose any mandatory cooling requirement, even in cooperative housing. Rösti himself has no air conditioner at home or in his office; heritage protection rules block installation at work, and his house is well enough insulated to stay cool without one.

That is a matter of individual responsibility. If someone wants to install one at home, they should be able to do so, and without bureaucracy.

Transport 45 and infrastructure challenges

The outing also served as a platform for Rösti's flagship infrastructure plan, "Transport 45." The package envisions around 56.5 billion francs for road, rail, and agglomeration projects over the next two decades. However, Rösti described it as a "cutting project": 68 rail projects and several motorway schemes are proposed for removal to focus on essential needs driven by population growth. A key hurdle is financing. The government wants to extend temporary VAT increments for rail infrastructure, but the same tax is already earmarked for pensions and the army. Rösti acknowledged the risk: if voters reject the extension, 8 billion of the planned 24 billion francs for rail would vanish, forcing a fundamental rethink of priorities.

A tradition of ministerial outings

Swiss federal councillors have long used the summer and winter parliamentary recess to invite journalists on informal excursions. Former minister Pascal Couchepin reportedly started the tradition with annual walks on St. Peter's Island. Simonetta Sommaruga later strolled along the Aare, and Ueli Maurer took media sledging in Adelboden. Rösti's previous outings included a hike in Kandersteg in 2024 and a walk on the Moléson in 2025, where he discussed energy law and the failed motorway expansion vote. This year's Lucerne visit was meant to highlight transport policy successes, including a parliamentary counter-proposal that could allow new nuclear power plants, now headed to a referendum.