Swiss National Council approves 200 million franc credit for 2038 Winter Olympics

Parliamentary vote in the National Council

The Swiss National Council has approved a federal contribution of up to 200 million Swiss francs to support the staging of the 2038 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. During the vote on Thursday, lawmakers backed the proposals of the Federal Council by 137 votes in favour to 40 against, with 14 abstentions. A central dispute during the parliamentary session concerned whether to subject the funding decree to an optional nationwide referendum. Following an extensive discussion, the chamber rejected the referendum proposal, adopting the recommendations of the Commission for Science, Education and Culture, the Finance Commission, and the Federal Council. The financial legislation now passes to the Council of States, which must deliver its own decision before the funding framework is finalized.

Budget structure and municipal co-financing rules

The overarching event concept created by Swiss Olympic anticipates a total expenditure of 2.2 billion Swiss francs. The planning framework assumes that the vast majority of this 2.2 billion franc sum will be financed through private capital rather than public funds. Under the terms endorsed by the National Council, the federal government will release its 200 million franc contribution only if lower levels of government provide matching funds. Cantons and municipalities hosting the events must collectively guarantee at least an equivalent financial contribution. The decentralized staging plan schedules athletic competitions across venues located in ten separate Swiss cantons, distributing the events throughout the country rather than concentrating them in a single location.

Dialogue with the International Olympic Committee

The decision to reject an optional referendum clears a significant hurdle in Switzerland's negotiations with the International Olympic Committee. The IOC has entered into a privileged dialogue status with Switzerland, granting the country the right to plan its hosting bid without rival international competition through late 2027. Under this bilateral agreement, Switzerland will secure the hosting rights for the 2038 Winter Games if its concept satisfies the technical and operational criteria set by the Olympic governing body. Swiss Olympic warned lawmakers that subjecting the 200 million franc credit to a public referendum would require gathering 50,000 signatures and would postpone a national vote until June 2027.

Swiss Olympic stated the scheduling requirements for securing the event:

The dossier must be submitted to the IOC by February 2027 so that it can award the Winter Games to Switzerland at the IOC session in late April or early May 2027.

Environmental requirements and Council of States review

In approving the federal credit, the National Council established supplementary environmental and sustainability conditions that organizers must satisfy. Lawmakers emphasized during the debate that hosting the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in twelve years represents a unique opportunity for Switzerland, provided the decentralized format meets strict ecological standards. The political consensus formed across the specialized parliamentary committees maintained that excessive procedural delays could disrupt the candidacy timetable. The entire legislative package now moves to the Council of States for debate. If the upper chamber aligns with the National Council and rejects a referendum clause, the pathway remains open for Swiss Olympic to complete the formal application process.