One year ahead of the Swiss federal elections, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is intensifying its demands to cap AHV pensions paid abroad, risking voter backlash from the country’s diaspora, SWI swissinfo.ch reported.
Reform Proposals Target Overseas Payouts
In its official statement regarding the AHV 2030 pension reform, the Swiss People’s Party argued that state pensions disbursed outside Switzerland should be adjusted to match the local purchasing power of the recipient’s country of residence. A party parliamentarian recently proposed withholding the 13th AHV pension payment from beneficiaries living abroad. These austerity measures have triggered sharp reactions among Swiss citizens living overseas.
Party Leadership Defends Domestic Focus
Facing mounting criticism from the diaspora, SVP party leadership addressed the controversy publicly for the first time. Party Marcel Dettling acknowledged that the platform risks alienating a portion of the overseas electorate. “We make policy for the domestic population,” Dettling said, adding that many Swiss expatriates still support the party’s broader agenda. Meanwhile, SVP campaign manager Manuel Strupler sought to downplay the immediate impact of the proposals, describing them as merely one option among many that the party is not prioritizing as its primary campaign focus.
Internal Perspectives on Pension Adjustments
Inge Schütz, president of SVP International, defended the framework of the debate, suggesting that the reform proposals could ultimately be structured in a way that avoids penalizing expatriates who have contributed to the pension system for decades. The discussion remains a central flashpoint as political parties position themselves ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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