Switzerland’s budget in the red again

Parliament has approved next year’s regular national budget which foresees a deficit of CHF2.3 billion ($2.5 billion). The House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday agreed on extra expenditure of CHF236 million, notably for rail projects, agricultural subsidies and energy programmes. The two chambers also insisted on a spending cut for the federal administration, despite opposition by the finance minister, Ueli Maurer. Overall, the national budget consists of an estimated CHF78.6 billion in revenue and CHF80.7 billion in expenses for 2022. The government presented plans for a deficit of nearly CHF2.2 billion. During the debates in parliament, Maurer warned of the dire financial prospects for the next few years. “We will have to think twice before we spend our money and we can’t afford any luxury projects,” he said. The political left countered that Switzerland’s finances were reasonably healthy compared with other countries. It is the second year in a row that the...