Swiss Council of States votes 29 to 15 to open debate on Bilaterals III EU treaty package

Parliamentary vote in Bern

The Swiss Council of States voted 29 to 15 on Monday evening to enter into detailed deliberations on the Bilaterals III treaty package with the European Union. The opening debate commenced at 14:38 and concluded at 20:41, spanning more than five hours on the Senate floor. More than half of the chamber's members spoke during the session. Following the parliamentary speeches, Federal President Guy Parmelin, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and Justice Minister Beat Jans delivered combined one-hour statements defending the negotiated agreements.

Party divisions and regional splits

The 29-to-15 tally reflected broad backing across center and left parties, counterbalanced by unanimous opposition from the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and selective dissent within center-right ranks. The yes votes included all seven Social Democratic Party (SP) senators, three Greens, one Green Liberal Party (GLP) member, ten Die Mitte members, and eight FDP.The Liberals members. The opposing 15 votes came from all seven SVP members, joined by four German-speaking members of Die Mitte and four German-speaking members of the FDP. SVP lawmakers argued that the package would increase immigration, diminish direct democratic rights, and place Switzerland under EU jurisdiction, referring to the text as a submission treaty. Carlo Sommaruga, the Geneva SP senator who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States, countered that the negotiated compromise among parties, cantons, and social partners is essential to prevent the erosion of existing bilateral agreements.

Scope of the 3,200-page package

The Bilaterals III dossier consists of roughly 2,200 pages of treaty text alongside more than 1,000 pages in the Federal Council dispatch. Key areas covered in the agreements include single market access, Swiss participation in research programs, the free movement of persons, and national security cooperation outlined in the Federal Council security strategy report. A survey by watson sent to 38 lawmakers with direct responsibilities on the dossier received 13 responses, with four politicians reporting that they had read the full package. Sommaruga was the only one of 17 contacted Council of States members who responded to the survey. The procedural scrutiny follows prior transparency debates in Bern, including the 6 billion Swiss franc procurement contract for US F-35 fighter jets under former defense minister Viola Amherd, which a parliamentary audit found had been read in full by only one department official.

Next steps and legislative timetable

Following the preliminary vote in the Council of States, parliamentary procedures move to detailed article-by-article negotiations before the National Council takes up the package in December. The Federal Council intends to secure parliamentary approval before the end of the year to enable a nationwide popular vote in June 2027. Some external assessments project that technical complexity and preparations for federal elections could push the referendum to 2028. To preserve the schedule, the Federal Council is structuring the initial vote around the stabilization decree. Political tensions remain elevated, with some SVP members labeling pro-treaty colleagues sellouts, while differences persist inside the FDP regarding referendum strategy.