Geneva Grand Council approves 2025 accounts with 50 million surplus, but eyes turn to 2027

Geneva's Grand Council has approved the canton's 2025 state accounts, reporting a surplus of 50 million francs. However, this positive financial outcome has done little to quell concerns about the canton's future fiscal health, with all eyes now turned towards the challenging 2027 budget.

The surplus is largely attributed to extraordinary factors, including fiscal corrections from previous years, resolution of complex tax cases, and a significant payment from the Swiss National Bank. Despite these one-off boosts, officials and lawmakers acknowledge the underlying dynamic of rising expenditures. The head of the Department of Finance, Nathalie Fontanet, warned that the positive result should not obscure the growing cost of public services.

Discussions are already underway regarding the "Zuin report," which outlines 58 measures aimed at achieving 533 million francs in savings by 2029. Right-wing parties, including the PLR and UDC, are advocating for "genuine structural reforms" to address the deficit. Conversely, the left-wing parties are largely opposing the proposed austerity measures, with the exception of increasing the number of tax controllers.

The urgency to address the fiscal situation is underscored by the fact that Geneva is currently operating under provisional twelfths for its 2026 budget due to a lack of consensus. The approval of the 2025 accounts, which passed with unanimity and one abstention, focused solely on the accuracy of the figures, not the broader budgetary strategy. Charges reached 10.94 billion francs on revenues of 11 billion, with investments at 678 million and a total debt of 11.3 billion francs at the end of 2025.