Several thousand people marched through Lausanne on Thursday evening to protest against cuts to public services, reported RTS. The demonstration came a month before Vaud’s cantonal parliament begins debating the 2027 budget.
Source: Facebook—SSP Vaud
The protesters crossed the city centre to the Place du Château, the seat of the cantonal government. Police and Keystone-ATS, a news agency, estimated the crowd at between 6,000 and 8,000. Organisers claimed more than 15,000. Protesters chanted “Tax the rich” and demanded more money for public services.
The three public-sector unions want the government to withdraw its planned savings and instead draw more heavily on reserves. The cuts would affect every department.
Yet voters have demanded tax relief. In September 2026, 53% backed a 12% reduction in cantonal income and wealth taxes, leaving the government with an estimated CHF 272m annual revenue shortfall. Even after the tax cut Vaud has one of Switzerland’s highest tax burdens.
The government’s response combines CHF 100m in spending savings—half from government operations, half from subsidies—with CHF 63m in additional revenue expected from the Swiss National Bank and CHF 109 drawn from financial reserves. Public-sector salaries are protected: a 1.5% inflation adjustment is due in January 2027, alongside annual increments for eligible staff.
The unions argue that the government should use reserves to preserve services. But without significant additional revenue, using reserves to fill the gap is unsustainable long term.
The SSP puts cumulative austerity measures announced for 2025–2027 at CHF 450m. Describing this as a reduction in spending from 2024 is misleading: the initial 2027 budget proposed operating expenditure of CHF 13.2bn, nearly 14% above the CHF 11.6bn budgeted for 2024. Subsequent amendments would trim that proposal, but total spending would remain higher. The union’s figure therefore describes announced budget restraint within a growing budget, rather than an equivalent fall in overall expenditure.
The government finds itself caught between the spending demands of 15,000 protesters and those of 122,000 taxpayers who voted for tax relief.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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