Swiss government to cut Swissinfo funding by nearly half

The Federal Council has approved a four-year mandate that cuts the federal contribution to Swissinfo’s international services by almost half. The agreement with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Swissinfo’s parent company, sets funding at CHF 10.5 million for 2027–2030, down from CHF 18.8 million under the current arrangement.

The new terms take effect on January 1, 2027, and run through December 31, 2030. The Federal Council said the reduced budget would still allow Swissinfo to maintain a “comprehensive and high-quality international service”. The broadcaster will also continue to provide content for international television channels TV5 Monde and 3sat, though their arrangements will change.

The decision puts the future shape of Switzerland’s media for audiences abroad in focus. The Confederation says the service should help Swiss citizens overseas stay connected with home and promote understanding of Switzerland internationally.

Swissinfo will publish in eight languages from 2027, with Portuguese and Japanese dropped from its lineup. The service will continue in Switzerland’s three official languages, German, French and Italian, alongside English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.

The Italian-language online platform tvsvizzera.it will also cease operations. Its closure is distinct from Swissinfo’s Italian-language service, which remains part of the planned eight-language offer. The changes follow the funding reduction in the new service agreement.

The SBC’s international work also includes Swiss contributions to TV5 Monde and 3sat. Under the new mandate, the share of Swiss programming on TV5 Monde will stay at 9%. On 3sat, it will fall from 10% to 8%. Switzerland will meet the full cost of its mandatory contribution to TV5 Monde for the 2027–2030 period. The agreement allows for a more selective choice of programmes on both channels and, where needed, the end of some co-productions.

The media union SSM says the Federal Council is moving ahead before Parliament has completed its debate on international programming. Parliament most recently opposed reducing international services in March. The Federal Assembly is due to debate funding for the 2027 services during the upcoming winter session.

SSM said the government’s decision pre-empts that process and called for the cuts to be reversed. It described the reduction in the federal contribution as “massive” and said the move was unacceptable before Parliament had considered the matter. “The Federal Council is effectively sidestepping the parliamentary process with this move,” the union said.

The criticism sets the approved service agreement against the parliamentary position cited by SSM. The Federal Council has already approved the terms with the SBC, including the lower budget and the closures of three services. The new mandate is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027, while Parliament’s debate is expected in the winter session.

From 2031, the Federal Council wants the SBC and the federal government to share the cost of international services equally. The government has instructed the communications ministry, DETEC, to prepare that funding model for the next mandate. The federal contribution would remain capped at the level set for 2027–2030, or CHF 10.5 million.

The agreement confirms the Confederation’s expectation that the SBC provide information services for audiences abroad alongside its domestic services. The stated purpose is to strengthen links between Swiss citizens living overseas and their home country, while promoting understanding of Switzerland internationally.

For the current mandate, the new budget and service lineup take effect in 2027. Swissinfo will continue in eight languages, while the Portuguese and Japanese services and tvsvizzera.it are slated to close. The SBC’s international television arrangements will also change: Swiss programming remains at 9% on TV5 Monde and drops to 8% on 3sat. The next funding model is due to apply from 2031.