Leftist forces, including the Greens and Social Democrats, are categorically against.
The Swiss political scene has split over a proposal to raise VAT to fund military spending. Philipp Matthias Bregy, president of the Centre Party, has initiated a temporary increase of 0.8 percentage points for ten years. According to him, this measure will raise 31 billion Swiss francs exclusively for defense needs.
Bregy claims that the security situation in Switzerland has sharply deteriorated and requires urgent measures. In his opinion, raising VAT offers a practical solution with broad advantages. At the same time, his party insists that the increase should be socially fair — without changes to preferential and special tax rates.
So far, the idea has not found support outside the Centre Party. The right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) support increasing the military budget but reject tax hikes. Leftist forces, including the Greens and Social Democrats, are categorically against raising VAT. The Green Liberals (GLP) do not completely reject the plan but demand a thorough review of actual financial needs.
Despite past issues with military procurement, Bregy is confident that the additional funds will be used effectively. For now, his party remains the only firm supporter of the initiative.
The increase in VAT by 0.8 percentage points over ten years is expected to bring in 31 billion francs for defense. However, most parties remain opposed, leaving the Centre Party as the only clear supporter. The discussion highlights deep divisions over the issue of national security funding.
