Cassis's slash-and-burn approach:
Federal Councillors Ignazio Cassis and Guy Parmelin pull off a small Trumpian coup, Swiss-style.
republik.ch/2026/08/19/cassis-kahlschlag
Photo: republik.ch · view article
Planned overhaul of Swiss development cooperationIgnazio Cassis wants to shift 300 million Swiss francs to humanitarian aid.
Key FactsAug 19, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: republik.ch
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: republik.ch
- The Federal Council plans to cut long-term development cooperation by nearly a quarter and increase humanitarian aid by 60 percent.
- Under the proposed reorganization, SECO would focus on emerging economies and Eastern Europe, while SDC would be responsible for Africa and several Asian countries; Switzerland would fully withdraw from Ghana, South Africa, Azerbaijan and all of Latin America.
- The administration is expected to implement the overhaul from 2027, although Parliament will not decide on the next international cooperation strategy until 2028.
- Signatories of an open letter and former development officials warn that the reform could shift the focus away from the structural causes of poverty and crises.
Development cooperation must be dispensable.— Ignazio Cassis, Foreign Minister, at a press conference
Story Details
| Last Updated | |
| Total Articles | 1 |
Main Topics
executive council and head of state in Switzerland
formal written document that creates law, including acts, executive orders, and by-laws
Similar to This
Previous
FM, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office: Switzerland ready to assist Armenia-Azerbaijan relations’ normalization
news.am/en/news/1067996
Development aid: Switzerland withdraws from six countries: Federal Councillors Cassis and Parmelin are cutting development aid, going far beyond the demands of ...
tagesanzeiger.ch/entwicklungshilfe-bundesrat-kuerzt-100-mio-franken-442144816365
Federal Council restructures development aid: The federal government wants to increase its involvement in crisis regions – even at the expense of long-term ...
nzz.ch/schweiz/100-stellen-weg-113-millionen-franken-gespart-mehr-fokus-auf-die-humanitaere-hilfe-der-bundesrat-stellt-seine-entwicklungshilfe-neu-auf-ld.10012689
Switzerland – EU: Federal Council refers Bilateral Agreements III to Parliament: The package is now in the hands of Parliament. Discussions there will become ...
nzz.ch/schweiz/schweiz-eu-nach-zwoelf-jahren-ueberweist-der-bundesrat-die-neuen-abkommen-an-das-parlament-jetzt-live-ld.1929124
Markus Seiler: Secretary General to become Ambassador to Canada: The head of the Foreign Office's central office will become ambassador to Canada ...
tagesanzeiger.ch/markus-seiler-generalsekretaer-wird-botschafter-in-kanada-566007286984
Paid articlePaywall
Federal Councillor Cassis: Fidgety and obsequious diplomacy. Zelenskyy: Frightening power slogans. Federal Councillor Parmelin: A quiet pragmatist ...
weltwoche.ch/daily/bundesrat-cassis-zappelphilipp-und-ranschmeisser-diplomatie-selenskyj-beaengstigende-machtparolen-bundesrat-parmelin-stiller-pragmatiker-lieber-trumps-friedensrat-als-eu-kriegsraete/
Switzerland makes new offer to the US in tariff dispute: Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin traveled to the United States at short notice ...
fr.de/wirtschaft/schweiz-unterbreitet-den-usa-neues-angebot-im-zollstreit-zr-93919243.html
Netanahu's Swiss crusader: How evangelical Christians are lobbying for the interests of the Israeli government in conjunction with the right.
republik.ch/2025/07/28/netanyahus-schweizer-kreuzritter
Sechseläuten 2025: The Böögg is history - | these are the best pictures of the festival
tagesanzeiger.ch/sechselaeuten-2025-der-boeoegg-ist-geschichte-das-sind-die-besten-bilder-des-volksfests-151613003944
Everyone is talking about Cassis: But what about "pensioner" Parmelin? - | Zofinger Tagblatt
zofingertagblatt.ch/nach-amherd-ruecktritt-alle-reden-ueber-cassis-aber-was-ist-eigentlich-mit-rentner-parmelin/
Parmelin, Cassis and Jans explain the deal with the EU: Agriculture, electricity or immigration: Federal Councillors Ignazio Cassis, Guy Parmelin and Beat ...
thurgauerzeitung.ch/schweiz/europapolitik-parmelin-cassis-und-jans-erklaeren-den-deal-mit-der-eu-ld.2714253
Paid articlePaywall
Negotiations between Switzerland and the EU: These people are shaping the deal and the debate
tagesanzeiger.ch/verhandlungen-schweizeu-diese-politiker-praegen-den-deal-125809663616
Paid articlePaywall Confederates Cassis, Jans and Parmelin - | News from Bundesgasse: Cassis can, Jans wants, Parmelin must +++ Blue and gold suspicion +++ Initiatives that are ...
nzz.ch/schweiz/die-drei-neuen-mitleidgenossen-ld.1862742
Immigration divides the Federal Council - | Jans pushes, Cassis slows, Rösti presses
nzz.ch/schweiz/die-zuwanderung-entzweit-den-bundesrat-jans-draengt-cassis-bremst-und-roesti-waermt-eine-alte-idee-auf-ld.1841503
Why Cassis is suddenly silent and Rösti contradicts Jans: What has happened so far and what could come next: Notes on the seven members of the Federal Council.
nzz.ch/schweiz/weshalb-cassis-ploetzlich-schweigt-roesti-jans-widerspricht-und-keller-sutter-die-chefin-ist-ld.1838242
Federal Council: Baume-Schneider will soon be gone, Cassis must stay forever: Elisabeth Baume-Schneider will soon be gone again, Ignazio Cassis will have to stay ...
nzz.ch/schweiz/legislatur-der-lame-ducks-ueber-die-mindesthaltbarkeit-von-bundesraeten-6000z-ld.1773036
The Federal Council elections are ongoing: The general election of the Federal Council by the United Federal Assembly will take place on Wednesday.
wundo.ch/artikel/die-bundesratswahlen-laufen/
Next