Summary: Following the signing on 2 March 2026, the Bilateral Agreements III must pass through the parliamentary process and be subject to the optional referendum. The consultation produced an approval rate of 74%. A popular vote is expected for 2027 or 2028. Various political forces have announced a referendum.
| Phase | Period | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Conclusion of negotiations | December 2024 | Completed |
| Initialling | Early 2025 | Completed |
| Consultation | June-October 2025 | Completed (74% approval) |
| Signing | 2 March 2026 | Completed |
| Parliamentary deliberation | 2026-2027 | Pending |
| Referendum period | After parliamentary decision | Pending |
| Popular vote | 2027 or 2028 | Expected |
| Entry into force | 2028 at the earliest | Open |
The consultation took place from June to October 2025. The Federal Council submitted the negotiation result to the cantons, parties, associations and interested circles for comment [13].
| Category | Approval | Rejection | Neutral/Abstention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantons | 22 of 26 | 4 | -- |
| Parties | FDP, Centre, SP, Greens, GLP | SVP | -- |
| Associations | Broad majority | Individual associations | -- |
| Overall rate | 74% | 26% | -- |
The 74% approval rate in the consultation is unusually high for such a complex and politically contentious package [13].
Approving:
Rejecting:
The package will be deliberated in both chambers of the federal parliament [1]:
Based on the parties' positions in the consultation:
| Party | Seats NC | Position | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|
| SVP | 62 | Against | Fundamental rejection |
| SP | 41 | In favour | Wage protection compromise fulfilled as condition |
| FDP | 28 | In favour | Securing the business location |
| Centre | 29 | In favour | Pragmatic bilateral path |
| Greens | 23 | In favour | European cooperation |
| GLP | 10 | In favour | Modernisation of the bilateral path |
| Others | 7 | Mixed | -- |
A comfortable parliamentary majority is likely, as only the SVP fundamentally opposes the package.
In addition to approving the treaty package, Parliament must also pass the domestic implementing legislation, in particular [1][9]:
The Bilateral Agreements III are subject to the optional referendum (Art. 141 para. 1 let. d Federal Constitution). Within 100 days of the official publication of the parliamentary decision, 50,000 eligible voters or 8 cantons may demand a referendum [1].
The SVP has repeatedly announced that it will launch a referendum against the Bilateral Agreements III. The SVP has also launched its own popular initiative aimed at terminating free movement of persons (vote scheduled for 14 June 2026) [12].
There are also isolated voices from trade union circles that do not rule out a referendum should the parliamentary process water down the wage protection compromise.
| Scenario | Timing | Likelihood |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 (before elections) | Spring/Autumn 2027 | Possible, but politically risky |
| 2028 (after elections) | Spring 2028 | More likely |
The FDP and the Centre have indicated that they prefer a popular vote only in 2028 to avoid overlap with the 2027 federal elections. The Bilateral Agreements III could dominate the election campaign and lead to a polarising confrontation [14].
A popular vote is considered likely, as the SVP has the mobilisation capacity needed for a signature collection. The outcome is open, though the 74% approval in the consultation is regarded as a positive signal [13][14].
On the EU side, the package must also be ratified. The European Council and the European Parliament must approve it. An EU-side rejection is considered unlikely, as the package is the result of a negotiation process mandated by the European Commission [3][4].
[1] FDFA (2026). Switzerland-EU Package (Bilateral III). Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[3] GTAI (2026). Agreements of the Switzerland-EU package signed. Germany Trade & Invest. [Open Access]
[4] European Commission (2026). IP/26/505. European Commission. [Open Access]
[9] admin.ch (2026). Wage protection: Measure 14. Swiss Confederation. [Open Access]
[12] SGB (2026). No to the SVP chaos initiative. Swiss Trade Union Federation. [Open Access] Note: Trade union.
[13] FDFA (2025). Consultation results. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[14] Blick (2026). EU treaties probably won't go to vote until 2028. Blick. [Open Access] Note: Media source.
Last updated: March 2026