Switzerland: Political development and data for 2017

Abstract

In 2017, political life in Switzerland was strongly marked by three important reform projects. One concerned the Corporate Tax Reform Act III aimed at adapting the corporate tax systems to international requirements. The second was the introduction of the new Energy Act, which was closely linked to the political acceptance of the Federal Council's Energy Strategy 2050. Finally, the third important debate was the reform of the pension system – a reform that was considered necessary by all political parties but where limited political consensus existed on what the reform should look like. Whereas these reform projects were all strongly promoted by the government, only the Energy Act was accepted on the ballot. Against this background, questions about Switzerland's reform capacity and citizens’ trust in government gained increased attention in the political discourse.