National Council tackles the debate on the 2025 budget
Published: Tuesday, Dec 3rd 2024, 05:50
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From today, Tuesday, the National Council will be debating the federal government's 2025 budget. In times of tight finances and due to the requirements of the debt brake, tough debates are to be expected. Among other things, the Council must decide how it wants to compensate for the desired increase in military spending.
The finance committees of both chambers want to provide the army with CHF 530 million more next year than the Federal Council. The Finance Committee of the National Council (FK-N) wants to increase army spending to one percent of gross domestic product by 2030, the Federal Council by 2035 and the Council of States by 2032.
More for the army and agriculture
In addition to the army, the National Council committee also wants to increase funding for agriculture. However, it wants to spend less on foreign aid - where it wants to cut a total of CHF 250 million in addition to the Federal Council's proposals - as well as on asylum seekers and federal personnel.
Specifically, the FK-N is requesting an increase of CHF 46 million in agricultural funding, mainly for direct payments to farms. In addition, there are requests for an increase of CHF 17.5 million for forestry. It also wants to spend more than the Federal Council on regional policy, education, regional passenger transport and daycare funding.
Finally, the FK-N proposed by 13 votes to 12 that the planned credit freeze of around CHF 30 million for the subsidization of SBB's night train service be waived.
Scope is narrow
With the Commission's proposals, the structural balance - the financial leeway stipulated by the debt brake - is a good CHF 12 million in the budget. In the Federal Council's version, the figure is CHF 86 million.
However, there are minority motions for increases or additional cuts to numerous budget items. The National Council has reserved Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning and Thursday for the budget. Next Monday, it will be the turn of the Council of States.
The budget prepared by the Federal Council is only compliant with the debt brake thanks to billions of francs in relief measures, higher estimated revenue and the extraordinary recognition of status S expenditure. The total federal budget amounts to around CHF 85 billion.
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