Switzerland’s political system is characterized by decentralization and direct democracy, and broad coalition governments are the norm. Political rights and civil liberties are generally respected, though laws and policies adopted in recent years have reflected a growing wariness of immigration and ethnic minority groups, whose members face societal and systemic discrimination.

• It was reported in September that federal prosecutors were investigating alleged fraud by companies hired to collect signatures for referendum proposals, raising the possibility that signatures for various popular initiatives in recent years had been forged or fabricated. Some civil society experts called for a ban on the commercial collection of signatures.
• In a December report, a parliamentary investigative committee concluded that the government had acted lawfully and prevented a financial crisis in 2023, when it facilitated the UBS Group’s emergency acquisition of Credit Suisse, a distressed financial institution, by providing large loan guarantees without consulting the parliament. In the weeks after that decision, the National Council, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, had expressed its disapproval of the loans through a nonbinding vote.
• Also in December, the Federal Assembly elected Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter of the Free Democratic Party to serve as the country’s largely ceremonial president for the coming year.
• A number of pro-Palestinian sit-in demonstrations were organized during the year to call for an end to the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, which had been triggered by a massive Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. While police intervened in some cases to remove demonstrators from university buildings and other sites, the events generally remained peaceful.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.